Please love me somebody
by prhoads3
Summary: events after silent hill 3. Heather is broken, emotionally and mentally until she finds a someone who is similiar to her. only problem is that silent hill will not release its clutches


**Chapter 1**

"Daddy Daddy" those piercing wails swept through the night like nails on a chalkboard.

Once those words reached me, I bolted awake out of a restless sleep. Dreams of a crying child in front of a fog shrouded house evaporated. The all too familiar sound brought me back to the land of the awake. Fumbling for my glasses, I drank in those piercing wails. Absolute horror mixed with unrelenting terror to produce a sound that tore through me. Walls and objects bounced the screams clearly around the living room. Each one reverberated louder with each passing second. Soon, the whole apartment complex would hear the nightmare taking place.

Cursing softly, I finally managed to locate my glasses. The little clock on the VCR glowed 2:30 in the morning. Outside, the rest of the world would be peaceful. People slept pleasantly, dreaming their sweet dreams. There would be no sweet dreams for me tonight.

Unfolding the covers, my bare arms goose pimpled at the night chill. Moonlight radiated softly through the patio door, faint ghostly shadows swimming across the room. They met up with other shadows produced by the lights from the kitchen and the bedroom. In the distant, the fridge chugged trying to keep up with the ticking of the kitchen clock.

Turning towards Heather, my heart sank as it always did. From within, my emotions threatened to blow sky high. In this dire situation, I needed to be as calm as possible. I taught myself to remain in control, no matter the severity of the situation. I managed to do it but just barely.

"Heather" it came out barely audible as a lump formed in my throat. "Stay cool Caleb" I scolded myself, gritting my teeth. Breathing shallowly, I called her name again. A tightness started to form in my chest as I crept closer. Calling her name had no effect as she continued her blood curdling screams.

As I slid closer, I noticed Heather gouging her arms voraciously. Thin trickles of blood streamed down her already scarred arms. To my horror, I noticed she had also carved lines deep in her face. Blood like tears dribbled down her face. In the moonlight, Heather appeared possessed by another entity. If I didn't act quickly, more damage could be done. One more than one occasion, I talked her out of suicide.

Moving pillows and her stuffed monkey, I slid stealthily behind her. Taking a reassuring breath, I gingerly wrapped my shaky arms around her. My nerves were shot beyond repair but I forced myself to be calm. I needed a delicate touch so I wouldn't spook her. One time I did and she managed to break free. Luckily, I caught her before any harm could be inflicted.

As I leaned in, I brushed back her damp hair from her face. Torrents of cold fear sweat cascaded from her, soaking her thin top. Violent muscle spasms racked her petite frame, her body tensing up. Her screaming and retching sobs rang maddening in my ears. I expected her to turn her head completely around at any second.

Softly as I could, I started humming a lullaby. I forgot where I heard it from but it worked when her nightmares struck. Pulling her in tightly, I leaned back against the couch. Cradling her head on my shoulder, I rolled Heather on her side. Like magic, her screams diminished, trailing into chocking sobs. She mumbled daddy don't die again thickly in my ear. Her arms relaxed, ending the bout of self mutilation. Instinctively, she curled her legs up to her chest. Though nineteen, right now she appeared to be around eight.

Little by little, the nightmare slowly waned away. Her sobbing diminished into wet sniffles. She relaxed her body, melting into my arms. However, she still possessed a faraway, nobody home stare as if she might relapse. Several nights, she did sometimes with tragic results.

Like a baby, I rocked her never minding the spring burrowing into the small of my back. In the distance, I could faintly hear the sounds of sirens approaching. Hearing those, my mind flashed back to how all this began. How I first met this troubled girl who would become my world. And to the secrets that would engulf me in a living nightmare.

**Chapter 2**

September 5, the day I first met heather, started out lousy for me. First, my alarm clock woke me up ten minutes late. And it didn't help that I had stayed up late painting. I desperately wanted to finish last night since I earned a living being an artist. On top of being late, I had a headache so fierce it felt like a rave party in my head. It turned my stomach into a queasy quagmire as I struggled out of bed. Stumbling across my room like a drunk, I showered, shaved and dressed in recorded time.

Sprinting past Warren's door, I hollered I'm leaving. No answer, only the faint sounds of classic blues. My adopted father, I realized, would be busy preparing for tomorrows fishing trip. Pausing, I thought of ducking in to make sure he heard me. I vetoed the idea since time slowly ticked away and I needed to hurry.

Though he loved me like his own, I remained indifferent, distant to Warren. We passed our days uttering only a few words to each other. At holidays, we spent it apart, never exchanging any gifts. At eleven he adopted me and eight years later, he remained a stranger to me. As for my birth, I recalled no details of it. Attempting to dredge up any info yielded no results. I apparently didn't exist nineteen years ago.

Due to this lack of knowledge, I developed a shell in my teenage years. At school, I shunned everyone, never making any friends. People would torment me for this anti social behavior constantly. I shut out the world, losing myself in books and painting. Being lonely suited me better than the comfort of friends. When you're lonely, no one can hurt you I always told Warren.

Still, he nagged me every day to start making friends and enjoy life. His pleas always fell on deaf ears. I figured since he wasn't my real father, his words carried no weight with me. But two days ago, he nagged me into an interview at My Bestsellers at Central Square Shopping Center. I really didn't need this job but maybe I would shut him up.

After winning the battle of the parking lot, I scurried into the mall. Like ants, people mulled about when they should have been outside enjoying the perfect autumn weather. Custodians had begun to decorate the walls with cheesy Halloween decorations. Everywhere, giant plastic spiders grinned stupidly at me entangled in faux cobwebs. As I banged my way to the escalator, my mind drifted to my painting. So far, I had managed to complete only thirty percent of it. Try as I might, I had acquired painters block, ideas becoming stagnant.

Bolting up the escalator, I squeezed through the surging crowd. An overwhelming wave of cologne, cheap perfume and sweat gagged me. People scoffed at me, a few shouting curses at me. One elderly man attempted to stop but I learned to tune people out. I didn't owe people anything so they all can leave me be is the philosophy I adopted. And right now, I didn't have time for people's attitude.

Stepping off, I checked my phone, see I was twenty minutes late. The chance of landing this job dropped to zero. Still, I pressed on, praying for a little

Skirting around a mountain of a woman, her perfume singing my nose hairs, I'm unprepared when a girl collides into me. Mountain lady lets loose a nail on the chalkboard scream as I pitch backwards. My arms flail like a drowning mans as I brace for impact. I twist awkwardly, landing on my side, my phone digging into my ribs. A red-hot poker of pain travels up my arms as I click my teeth. The girl shoves me down flat, head butting me like a ram

My vision temporarily blurs as the ball thump in my head intensifies. Shaking my head, I'm eye to eye with her, sour breath strong enough to peel paint fogging my glasses. Dead weight, the girl doesn't attempt to move of me. Squirming, I manage to roll her off me. Resting on my knees, I turn my attention towards her, adjusting my glasses.

Perhaps 18, the girl stares at me with haunted eyes. She opens and closes her mouth like a dying fish. Beneath her greasy blond hair, I read how frightened she is but by what? Anyone else would be apologetic, even laughing at this situation. Not this girl, her movements are skittish as a cornered animal. Unlike an animal, she appeared to have no fight in her. Wearing ragged jeans, one knee worn through and a grungy teal hoodie, she appeared homeless. Her clothes hung loosely, emphasizing a malnourished person. On her hands, crusty bandages wound up her arms like crimson red snakes.

Staggering up, I glanced down at her, wondering how the hell she didn't see me. Not sure what to say, I stepped forward, extending my hand. I tried not gag as I caught a whiff of her pungent body odor. Instead of a hand, she acted as if it were a loaded gun. Muscles in her neck strained as taunt as guitar strings. Her eyes bulged threatening to pop out as she started whimpering. Scurrying sideways, she collided with a display of fake pumpkins. Rolling like orange bowling balls, she pitched left, stumbling over them. Half gasping, half crying, she scuttled like a crab towards the escalator.

As her figure receded, I stood in numb disbelief. Showing emotions never came natural to me even in times of tragedy. People at school used to call me Mr. Freeze even to this day.

When she disappeared, I started to leave when I noticed something on the ground. Retrieving it, the words Dad and Me were scrawled on it in blue ink. Flipping it over, what I saw completely shocked me. It's rare for something to shock me as much as this did. In the photo, the girl, who just bowled me over, embraced what appeared to be her father. I couldn't believe it to be the same girl at first. In the photo, her eyes gleamed, full of life as she hugged her father. Pocketing it, I would try to return it if I ever saw her again.

Despite my protests, I lost the job but I couldn't care less. Figuring out who this girl was swamped my mind for the rest of the day.

That night, as I struggled to complete my project, the girl popped in my head again. All day, her face popped in and out of my mind like a crazed jack in the box. I couldn't shake her no matter what, the image burned in my mind. Removing my canvass, I replaced it with a large sketch pad. Blessed with a photographic memory, I had no trouble recalling her face. My pencil hovered then like a man possessed, I sketched. Nothing stopped me as I drew her eyes so vividly they seemed real. Then I worked on her face, sketching it from several different angles. When my hands started cramping, I dropped my pencil, my head swimming. In a half hour, I had filled an 18 x 24 surface with a strange girl who attracted me.

Massaging my neck, an idea hit me like a ton of bricks. Locating the photo I had found, I tacked it to my easel. Judging by the creases, she had loved this particular photo very much. Flipping to a new page, I sketched half her face from today. Then I juxtaposed half her face from the photo.

Standing back, the stark contrast between the two astounded me. In the photo I estimated her age at around about 16 or 17. Pacing the floor, rubbing my weary eyes, I began to wonder what had happened to her. To be a teenager teaming with life and love to a teenager resembling a victim of a severe tragedy.

"Your dad died, didn't he? And tragically as well." I said, twirling my pencil. "But who are you?" Warren would still be up, double checking his tackle. If he heard me talking to myself, I wouldn't be surprised if he called the loony bin.

Pacing back and forth, I couldn't stop gazing at her portrait. Those haunted eyes were magnetic, drawing me in. I expected any minute for the portrait to reach out and snatch me up. Downing my tea, I sat down, nose pressed against the rough paper.

"You remind me of someone but whom?" I whispered, careful not to smudge the graphite. "But why am I attracted to you when I've never had a friend in my life? "Unaware, at that moment, cracks started to form in my shell. Though minute, they produced a queer sensation throughout my body causing me to shudder slightly.

"Stop it Caleb" I shouted, bolting up from my chair as if my ass were on fire. Palm smacking my head, I covered the portrait with a sheet.

"She doesn't mean anything to me at all. She would be trouble if I chased after her." Little did I realize, I had contradicted myself.

Frustrated, I brushed my teeth and headed to bed. In my dreams, I chased the strange girl through the corridors of the mall. When I finally caught her, I wrapped her in an embracing hug chanting everything will be ok. When I released her, she fell dead to the floor, her throat slit wide open.

The following week, I found myself trolling the mall for her. And I found myself with a storm brewing inside me. One part of me wanted to turn the picture into lost and found and totally forget her. The other part, the one that won, told me there are too many unanswered questions to forget her.

She remained elusive as the Loch Ness monster though. Every time I spotted her, she would vanish into thin air. It frustrated me but I kept, the rabbit chasing Alice.

On Wednesday, I ducked into the Happy Burger to quell the beast in my stomach. As I entered, like radar, I honed in on the girl. Huddled in a corner, she melted into the wall when somebody passed by. Still dressed in the same clothes as before, she blankly stared ahead. Like a tractor beam, I found myself being sucked in. forgoing food; I attempted to formulate a plan to approach her. Being so apprehensive, approaching her seemed as simple as disarming a nuke.

Wiping my damp palms on my jeans, I walked closer towards her. My feet felt disconnected from my body with each step. People stared at me, wondering what the hell my problem was. My heart thumped in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the restaurant. Two feet from her, I froze, panic rising. Before she locked eyes with me, I sprinted towards the bathroom. Leaning over the sink, my body felt feverish, burning as hot as a reactor. Weakness spread throughout my body, my knees as rubbery as Gumby. Running cold water over my face, I suppressed the need to black out. Collapsing on a toilet, my hands trembling, I tried wrapping my head around what happened.

"Caleb, you may deny it but I believe that this girl does mean a lot to you but you just won't admit. So what's wrong?" I muttered to myself, careful that no one heard me.

"What's wrong is that girl is doing something to me. I feel like I'm not in control of my body anymore" I answered myself, walking toward the door

To my dismay, the girl had disappeared when I exited the restroom. I wondered if I should wait, hoping for her immediate return. Not wanting to freak people out more, I dashed back into the mall. A storm had kicked up, dulling the ambience and my mood. For a half hour, I wandered aimlessly, searching for her. Finally, all my efforts expended, I left dejected. Sprinting through the rain, I ducked into my car.

As I placed the key into the ignition, a sharp pain ripped across my chest. I dropped my keys as I clutched my chest. Gasping, my lungs searing, I collapsed back into my seat. Struggling against a sea of blackness, I fumbled for my phone but it went thudding to the floor. As the storm raged outside, I fought against what I believed was a heart attack. But as quickly as it arose, the attack dissipated like a whiff of smoke. Removing my glasses, I tasted saltines on my lips. Wiping my eyes, my fingers came back damp.

"These are my tears?" I whispered my lungs still on fire. Staring into the mirror, my emerald-green eyes shone eerily in the lightning. Blinking, I noticed how puffy and red they were, signs that I had indeed cried.

I couldn't remember the last time I cried. Three years ago, Warren suffered a massive heart attack. Even at the worst moments during his surgery, I never shed one single tear. But now I cried tears for a girl that I still didn't know. This situation had taken another unexpected twist. As I collected my thoughts, pieces of shell started falling away.

Fate is the belief that something happens for a reason. In all my years, I never believed in anything let alone fate. The events two nights later completely changed those beliefs. Not only that, that events transformed two people and set them on a path that would lead to a revelation.

At the last-minute, I ran out of paint for my nearly completed painting. At a quarter to ten, I arrived at a near empty mall. Normally packed despite the time, only a few stragglers remained. Bolting into the mall, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Barely three feet ahead; I laid eyes on the strange girl once again. Hurrying off the escalator, she dashed through the doors leading into the mall. Like before, her frightened animal eyes darted around, alert to the slightest movement. Nothing much had changed from the last time I met her. She still wore the same frayed blue pullover and moth-eaten jeans. Despite my curiosity, I needed to hurry before the mall closed down. However, I couldn't stop staring at her receding figure. Like a moth to a flame, I followed her into the mall.

"I don't need this" I scolded myself, realizing the time. "But I'm being drawn in by her.  
Past the Happy Burger, its greasy fried foods pungent, I chased after her. Only a handful of janitors mulled about, cleaning up today's mess. One, a stout Mexican with thinning hair, stared quizzically at the chase. Like jail cells, most of the shops stood barred, their owners already left for the night.

Shoes slipping on the floor, I rounded the corner, the girl unaware. Stopping, I watched her continue down the hall, turning right towards the restrooms. Lumbering out of the shadows, a burly caveman biker slunk after her. Adjusting his leather jacket, her perused after her, seedy eyes scanning the halls. Judging by the swastika on his neck, his intentions were nothing short of malicious.

Watching, a bell gonged in my head, alerting me to trouble. Turning around, like specters, the janitors had magically vanished. I started to leave for help when a voice told me to move it. Against my better judgment, I dashed down the hall.

Approaching the corner, I caught a whiff of the caveman biker's scent. A perfume of stall alcohol, acrid sweat and motor oil caused me to heave slightly. Collecting my thoughts, my ears picked up the sounds of confrontation.

"Stupid druggie cunt, you're mine" Slurred hate laced words floated up from around the bend. Faintly, sounds of pathetic whimpering could be heard. I bounded around the corner, hoping I wasn't too late.

Caveman biker had corned the girl near the water fountain. His ham hock fists clenched tight as he stared down at his prey. On the ground, the girl attempted to squirm away but his girth prevented escape. All hope lost, she curled into a fetal ball, sobbing mournfully. Her grief, however, only fueled the brute's appetite.

"Fucking whore, going to fuck you good" He grinned a hyena's smile, mangy yellow teeth hungry for flesh. As he started to unzip his jeans, I interrupted him

"Back off her now" caveman biker's words were nails but mine were white-hot bullets.

Inside me, something became unchained, its presence surging through my veins. I clenched my teeth as my heart thumped like a tribal drum. The more I stared at the attacker, the more the fire inside me raged. Then it hit me what this presence could be. Hate, anger, rage all directed towards caveman biker man

"What a strange sensation this is. I've never been angry before" I seethed, my eyes never leaving his.

Considering me as not a threat, caveman biker returned to the sniveling girl. Like a guided missile, I charged him, catching him unaware. Towering over him by at least five inches, my right fist had no problem colliding with his doughy face. His nose crumpled into a pulpy mass as my knuckles drove in deep. Staggering back, I didn't give him a chance to recover as I drove my feet straight into his crotch. Hollowing thickly, his knees buckled, eyes expanding wide with disbelief. Clutching his grungy jacket, I hurled his head into the wall. Bouncing off with a sickening crack, he pirouetted before collapsing on his ass.

"Out of here now. Leave her alone" I sneered, my words cold, venomous. I stood defiant, a knight defending the princess from the dragon

At first he didn't take my threat seriously. When I stomped forward, he squealed like a stuck pig and then peeled off down the hall. He faltered as his pants slid down, crab walking around the corner.

With the situation secured, I sighed deeply, a dull throb in my hand. As quickly as it rose, my anger dissipated like a puff of smoke. In its place another emotion, compassion, which I never experienced, arose. Turning around, the girl attempted to wedge her body under the fountain. Her sleeves had pulled up, exposing a multitude of bloody bandages over heavy mutilated arms. Shaking uncontrollably, her hitching sobs caused me to wince

"I go from being emotional dead to the world to emotional because of you" I muttered, kneeling down in front of her.

"I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to help you" I gently said, wondering what happened to her arms. She required help but I didn't risk leaving her. If the caveman returned, he would eat her alive.

Between sobs, I believed I heard the words Claudia, sacrifice and God. Puzzled, I wondered what she meant by that. Suddenly, approaching footsteps caused me to whirl around. I froze, straining my eyes to see if Biker Caveman had planned on returning. When they receded, I breathed a sigh of relief

When I turned around, the girl had unfurled herself, squatting on the floor. Her eyes transfixed mine, holding me in place. Like a book, she read my eyes, studying me with great intensity. The longer she gazed into my soul, the more she appeared to calm down.

"You are not one of Claudia's followers" she murmured, chewing on her chapped lips. Crawling closer, she hesitantly extended her hand, and then touched my face. I shuddered at her icy clammy touch. "I can trust you"

"What?" I responded, scratching my head. This girl definitely had a problem which caused me to question whether I should help her or not.

Patiently, she squatted in front of me waiting for me to say something. Conflicted, I couldn't find any words to say. Freshly unleashed emotions tumbled about, fighting for control of my body. Any second, I would explode, painting the walls in a gory mess.

"I can do this, fight for control" I commanded myself, screwing my eyes shut. Taking controlled deep breaths; I managed to regain the reins for the time being. By doing so, I answered my question of whether I should help her or not.

Standing up, I offered my hand to her. She shrank back then gingerly took it. Brushing back her mangy hair, she surprised me with a hug. At that moment, another emotion, more powerful than the anger I experienced, swallowed me. Staring down at her, I felt at ease for the first time in my life.

"So this is what it is like to be happy" I thought, listening to my heart thrum loudly "Feels great"

As we walked to the exit, we both stumbled out introductions. Fortunately, security hadn't locked us in yet. Most of the mall now sat in darkness, thick shadows spilling from every surface. I noticed her tensing up at the sea of shadows before us.

"Names Caleb" I said, watching her hug the wall tightly. She continued to inspect every corner, wary of anything despite me being next to her.

"Heather" she replied meekly, glancing quickly at me. Coming away from the wall, she grabbed my arm, seeking safety next to me. Placing my arm around her, I lead her out into the brightly lit atrium.

Breaking away from me, Heather turned towards the subway. Down there, at this time, there would be a lot of hiding spots. If Biker Caveman resided down there, Heather would be in grave danger and I wouldn't be able to save her this time. Clutching her arm, I stopped her before she got too far.

"Heather, wait." I stuttered, becoming flushed in the face. Expressing emotions yet alone talking to another person still seemed alien to me. In the course of thirty minutes, my entire human landscape had changed 360 degrees.

"What?" she replied, glancing back at me.

"Let me take you home. I feel better if I did. That caveman might still be lurking." I barely finished before she embraced again, nodding her approval.

Hand in hand, I led Heather out into the damp night. As we walked through the misty parking lot, I started thinking about how far I've come. Just two week ago, I lived frozen in my own little world. No emotions, no feelings, no friends, just me and my paintings. My room became my bastion against the outside world. But ever since I met Heather, my world had changed little by little. I could feel change every time I laid eyes on her. Just the other day, I said I love you to Warren for the first time ever. Time would only tell if I would be able to adjust to this new body. Right now, being free from my prison left me feeling dizzy. Now I only wished for clues to my past and who I really was.

As I prepared to start the car, I remembered the promise to return her photo. Clearing away junk, I hoped I hadn't left it in my room. Pulling down the visor, the photo fluttered into my lap. Looking at it, I glanced at Heather then back at the photo. The drawings I sketched didn't do the contrast between the two Heathers justice. Looking at her now, the change screamed at me in vivid clarity.

"Um, Heather you dropped this" I said to her. In the passenger seat, she sat rigid, knees tucked under her chin. When she caught sight of the photo, her whole face lit up. For a brief moment, happiness returned to her world. Snatching it from me, she studied it with great intensity.

"Dad" she whispered, holding her holy grail tightly. As I watched, the happiness vanished, despair returning once more. Like a switch, she become sullen, sinking deeper into her seat. A tinge of sorrow filled my heart as I watched tears streak down her cheeks. Wiping my moist eyes, I softly asked her where she lived. It took me three tries before she mumbled where she lived.

All the way home, she never spoke nor looked at me. She simply picked at her bandages or gazed intently at the photo. If I could, I wanted to reach over and hug and tell her everything would be okay like in my dreams. But the minute I would, she probably would jump out of the car.

Turning into the apartment complex, I thought about what I should do next. Like kryptonite, making tough decisions crippled me. As I pulled up to the door, Heather turned to me. I could tell her mind was racing, eager to ask me something. Twisting her hands, she opened her mouth then clicked it shut.

"Will you please come in please?" she meekly asked me, putting emphasis on the pleases.

Daisy Villa apartment 102,in my opinion, appeared to be where dreams and hopes had died . Every light blazed fiercely, the sensation like walking into the sun. Most of the apartment appeared unfurnished, leaving a hollow void. Sounds echoed eerily, sending chills down my spine. Dishes sprouted high from the kitchen; clothes took root on the floor. All surfaces were painted in dust and grime. Being a neat freak, I cringed at the sight of such deplorable conditions. As I watched Heather move like a zombie, I detected an unmistakable familiar odor. Thought faint, the bitter metallic smell of blood caused me to gag slightly.

Passing a dilapidated green recliner, she stopped then knelt down. To me, she mumbled what sounded like a prayer. As I watched her, my head starred throbbing from the intense light. It increased the nausea brought on from the bloody smell.

"I hope to see you around again, Heather" I said, wanting to leave before I puked everywhere. As I grabbed the door handle, a soft whimper interrupted me. Heather crouched by the recliner, her face saying how those words had hurt her.

_What should I do now? _I asked myself, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

Before I could answer myself, Heather answered for me. Bounding across the room in quick steps, she threw her arms around.

"Please, stay, please" she said, squeezing me tightly. Slowly, I returned the hug, the gears in my head turning.

I replied before I could finish debating on what to do "Yes, I will, if it's okay by you"

Satisfied with the reply, Heather sank deeper in my arms. As I held her, I survived her apartment once more. As I did, something clicked in my brain.

_I know why I was attracted to you Heather. It's not just you remind me of somebody. It's that you are just like me. A person alone in this world trying to find their place but all they find is pain, sorrow and loneliness._

Sleep enveloped me early, my hand a dull pinpoint of pain. In my dreams, I arrived too late to save heather. Biker Caveman knelt over her, his meaty fists dripping blood. I attempted to save her but nothing could be done. Biker Caveman's throaty laughter evolved into an inhuman shriek. I snapped awake, drenched in a cold sweat. The banshee's cry still rang sharply in my ears. After collecting my senses, I realized those cries weren't in my dreams.

Piercing, like nails on a blackboard, the shrieks rang crisply throughout the apartment. I unwrapped myself from my sleeping bag, grimacing at the pain from sleeping on the floor. My heart thudded in my head as I stood up, my eyes darting around the apartment. All the lights still blazed, Heather refusing to turn them off. Frantically, I searched for the source of the screams.

Finally, I pinpointed the source to Heather's bedroom. I knocked with an unsteady hand but no answer came. A dreadfulness smothered me as I debated on what to do. I didn't want to barge in yet I had no other choice. Cautiously, I cracked open the door as the screams intensified. Her body ramrod straight, an unseen force assaulted Heather. I approached her on rubbery legs, sweat blinding me. I pleaded with her as calmly as possible but they had no effect.

When I reached out to touch her, she whipped around, her screams intensifying. Her hands battered the air furiously as with fighting off an attacker. Twisting, she scurried across the bed, curling up in the corner. Shaking violently, she incoherently spewed words at me. Pure terror swam in her dark eyes.

Again, I tried reasoning with her, this time she charged me. Her hands battered my face as I struggled to control her. Like a wild animal, she lashed out for my eyes, my glasses skittering across the floor. Suddenly, she calmed down and I took the bait. Knocking me flat, she bolted towards the bathroom as stars danced in my eyes.

Approaching the door, I heard the unmistakable sound of glass shattering. Turning the knob yielded no result causing my panic level to skyrocket. Realizing the severity of the situation, I kicked in the door. I slipped on the sticky blood covering the grungy tile floor. With so much on the floor, I held little hope for Heather being alive. Tracing the red trail, I discovered Heather sprawled in the tub, her glassy eyes staring at the ceiling. A jagged piece of glass rested deep in her right wrist. Blood shone vibrantly against her white skin, a morbid Jackson Pollack painting. I resisted freaking out as much as I could as I stumbled toward her.

"Heather?" My voice sounding a million miles away. Kneeling down, I checked her pulse; faint but she lived but not for long. Delicately, I removed the shard of glass, a geyser of crimson splashing me in the face. Ripping off my shirt, I used part of it to tie a tourniquet, the other to bind her wound as tightly as possible.

Stooping down, I removed her from the tub. Making my way to the front door, I applied pressure as I dialed help. I repeated the info twice, my nerves frayed beyond repair. Hysterical, I force myself to remain sane until the medics arrived.

As they carted heather away, an emotional bomb exploded deep inside me. Not one or two emotions became unleashed but every emotion a human can feel. Grief attempted to drown me in a torrent of sorrow. Collapsing, I sobbed uncontrollably, fire burning in my lungs. I wrapped my arms around my body, my stomach seizing up. Salty tears washed pink war paint down my bloody naked chest. The mere thought of her dying caused more waves of angst. Curled in a fetal ball, my body attempted to rip itself apart from the inside out. In all my life, I never experienced such unbearable pain.

When the storm passed, I arose on wobbly legs, my body aching. For nearly an hour, once pent up emotions crippled and nearly killed me. Leaning against the wall, I banished the thought of Heather dying on me. Like a drunk, I lurched to the kitchen where I washed the remaining blood off me. When I finished, I drove to the hospital, all the time hoping Heather would be okay.

I fought for a half hour before the nurse finally relented. "I don't blame you for questioning me, I'm a sorry sight" I sighed, trudging down the gleaming hallways

Buzzing lights, to bright for my taste, droned mosquito like in my ears. My boot heels echoed down the hall, the only sound. Certain rooms emitted soft murmurs or an occasional beep but nothing could dispel the unnatural silence. "I'm trapped in a dream or maybe a nightmare" I thought, glancing around for signs of life. Not a single person passed me on the way.

Sweeping aside the striped curtain, an elderly gentleman hunched over Heather, weeping. Wrapped in a gauzy blanket, heather appeared as a pallid mummy. Thick tubes snaked out from the blankets, machines whirring softly. If not for those machines, I would have mistaken this for a funeral.

Knocking lightly, I perceived myself as an outsider of sorts. As I watched the old man crying, an antiseptic smell coiled around me, my stomach flopping like a fish. In the distance a shrill alarm caused me to jump. I decided to leave immediately when the old man sensed my presence.

Turning, the old man studied me with bleary hooded eyes. A landscape of wrinkles decorated his face, age heavily set in. an unpleasant odor of cheap cologne and cigarettes permeated the room. Combined with the hospital smell, bile rose hot and sour in my throat.

"You must be Caleb correct?" he gravelly said, stepping forward. Judging by his disheveled clothes, he appeared to be nothing more than a bum.

"Yeah" I replied thickly. I suppressed my gorge again, sweat beading on my brow. Not only did I feel sick, my stupid emotions decided to kick in again. A steel band of anxiety clamped tight around my chest. _"I need sleep as well"_ I thought, taking calming breathes.

"She told me you might come before she fell asleep" His eyes searched me, judging my intentions with intense scrutiny. With uncertainty, he extended a liver spotted hand. Numbly, I gripped it, the sensation similar to old leather.

"Thanks for saving heather. By the way, name is Douglas, in case you were wondering" his tone of voice didn't sound very sincere. I interpreted as _"I am Douglas and I don't trust you one bit_. _You're up_ _to something" _

Without warning, he burst into tears, starling me. He clutched his chest, groaning deeply. When he didn't keel over, Douglas returned to the sleeping Heather

"I tried helping her, lord forgive me" he blubbered, wiping his nose on his tacky trench coat. "She accepted help for awhile then shut me out. I prevented her death several times, yet no matter what, she just progressively got worse." Douglas sighed bitterly, flopping into a chair. Removing a cigarette, he twirled it between his yellowish fingers, sniffling.

I stood, frozen in place by the door. Words stuck in my throat, my lips heavy as lead. An Asian nurse in pink ducked in, checked the machines and the quickly retreated. She treated both of us as complete nut jobs in need of immediate help

"What happened to her?" I managed to squeak out. I adjusted my jacket, my bare chest freezing. My favorite wrestling shirt lay in bloody ruins but that didn't concern me. It helped save Heather's life and that is what mattered most

Tossing aside the mutilated cigarette, Douglas narrowed his eyes, wheels turning in his head. His distrust of me glowed white hot in those swollen eyes. Removing another butt, he placed it in his mouth, chewing it.

"I don't trust you Caleb, I know you can tell" He spat out the devastated butt, replacing it with another one. "I realize you saved her twice but that still doesn't matter. I don't understand why Heather trusts you, I truly don't." He blew out a stale breath, rubbing his thinning hair. "Heather told me to tell you the truth but I'm sure not I will."

"Look" I interjected, pointing an accusing finger at Douglas "I'm not here to hurt her or whatever you think I might do okay. I'm just concerned about her and I would like to know why she is this way alright."

Taken back by a flurry of furious words, Douglas couldn't speak for a few minutes. Chewing on his thumb, he mulled over the situation, deciding my fate.

"Fine, alright I will if you really want to know that bad"

I nodded my head, preparing myself mentally for the truth about Heather.

"Alright, I'll tell you only after you tell me where you were born"

"Sheppard's Glen for a month then moved to Braham's" I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets. I figured I would lie about the fact that I was adopted. Warren raised me but as for my birthplace, I still had no clue. Next year, my 21st birthday, the true details of birth would be revealed.

Spitting out the mangled butt, Douglas shot me a disapproving look. "Shit, he knows that I am hiding something" I cringed away, throwing my glance onto the floor.

"Fine" Douglas said, crossing his arms around his ample belly "Did anybody ever tell you about Silent Hill or the Order?"

"Many times. Warren had forbidden me from ever venturing there. He said people disappeared without a trace in that hell of a town." I said, occupying a chair next to Douglas despite the offensive odor. Yawning, I stretched, bones cracking like gunshots. "And everybody knows about the Order in Sheppard's Glen. He called them the moral cancer and said he would shot me if I ever involved myself with them."

An uneasy silence followed as Douglas prepared his speech to me. Wringing his gnarled hands, he opened his mouth then shut it quickly. Tension hung thickly in the air, the anticipation killing me. If Douglas didn't talk soon, I was going to explode.

"Nineteen years ago" Douglas began in a hushed tone. "A man, Harry Mason, took his daughter Cheryl on a trip to Silent Hill. There was an accident and she went missing." Douglas began to incessantly gnaw his nails ragged. "He explored the town, encountering strange phenomena's"

I interjected only to have Douglas bite my head off in one bite. Slumping deeper in my chair, I held my questions for later.

"After traveling around for awhile, he finally discovered the truth about his daughter" Douglas continued "Several years before they arrived, a woman, Dahlia Gillespie, attempted to summon the ancient God of the town by using her own daughter, Alessa."

"Something went wrong, causing Alessa to split her soul into two, one half inhabiting the town, the other half Cheryl. Dahlia attempted to perform the ritual again by uniting the two but Harry stopped the creature. As he left, he was given a child, that child was Heather" He pointed a quivering thumb at the bed. Still sleeping, she appeared unaware of the situation developing. "Somehow, she was half Cheryl, half Alessa."

Standing up, Douglas paced nervously around the room. Staring out the window, I saw a worried look across his face. Outside, the first traces of dawn broke fiery over the horizon. Soon the empty corridors would swell with the sick and the dying. After tonight, I believed I would sleep like Rip Van Winkle.

Crossing the room, Douglas glanced over at Heather then sighed, pinching his nose. Adjusting his coat, he took up his seat next to me. Removing a butt, he began to chew it viciously.

"Seventeen years later, I was hired by a woman, Claudia, to find Heather. I didn't question her motives why." Douglas resumed, bits of tobacco speckling his clothes like a dirty snow. "I first met Heather at the mall. She didn't trust my intentions and gave me the slip." He imitated a wood chipper, grinding up one cigarette after another.

"When I met her later, I questioned her about this creature I saw. I didn't know what the hell was going on anymore. Well, again she ran off, wanting to get home. Eventually, I met up with her at the apartment. The Order had murdered her father. She blamed me for everything. She relented, allowing me to drive her to Silent Hill."

"We split up and didn't meet until the amusement park. I wanted to kill Heather" His voice dropped to a raspy whisper. "Kill her and stop the infernal madness going on" Douglas snapped out of his funk, rubbing his face. "Forgot to tell you, Heather had some sort of God breeding inside of her. Claudia wanted it so she could bring about the salvation of man. I didn't believe it at first but at the end I did. In the end, Heather destroyed the God and we escaped the town."

Douglas paused, his breathing laboring and his face beet red. A litter of tobacco littered the ground like autumn leaves. Sweat beaded on a face pinched with angst. I thought the story had aged him at least twenty years.

"In the ensuing weeks after, Heather started a decline. Nightmares, crippling fears, believing everyone wanted her dead. As we left Silent Hill, she wanted me to call her Cheryl. I eventually stopped because she would break down, crying for her dad. Then she kicked me out of the apartment."

Douglas coughed sharply, his increasing wheezing concerning me greatly. He staggered to his feet like a zombie from the grave. Grunting he stared at me, mumbling you better not harm her and I still don't trust you. Staggering out the door, he appeared as fragile as china. One more cough and he would vanish in a cloud of dust.

As I watched Douglas leave, his story whirled through my weary mind. "Could all what he told me be real?" I thought, tugging on my earrings. "This story could explain why Heather is like she is" I concluded, glancing over at her "But can I believe it?"

Deep in my meditative state, I never witnessed Heather, awake now, staring intently at me.

"So do you believe me or do you believe I'm crazy like the doctors say" Heather's hushed words caused me to jump out of my chair. My heart went sailing as I turned my attention to her. Freeing herself from her blanket cocoon, she struggled to sit up. She grimaced painfully as tubes threatened to pull free from her arms. All the time though, her haunted eyes burned straight through me. Like Medusa, she froze me in my tracks.

Closing my eyes tightly, I managed to break her hypnotic trance over me. With leaden feet, I hesitantly approached the bed. Not sure how she would respond to touch, I kept my hands at my sides. Wetting my lips, I finally managed to form words.

"Heather, how do you feel? I was worried sick about you" I asked, tracing my fingers along the bed rails. Memories of tonight's tragedy flashed in my mind. Gritting my teeth, I sought to banish them before I broke down again.

_"I'm never going to get use to be emotional"_ I thought, the images finally fading away _"It's going_ _to kill me in the end"_

"Stop avoiding the damn question and answer me now" she demanded, voice cracking as it rose in anger. "Tell me. Tell me you believe me or leave my life right now."

Surprised at her outburst of anger, it took me a few seconds to reply. "Promise me to let you finish before you say anything"

She nodded in compliance, folding her hands neatly in her lap.

"Ok, well the story Douglas told me is well incredible." Those words pierced her heart with malevolent intent. She flinched, her face scrunching up, tears forming in her eyes. Before her emotional damn broke, I quickly continued.

"Heather, you are not crazy." I said then paused, carefully selecting my words. Either they would keep the dam intact or blow a huge hole in it, one that would prove disastrous to Heather.

"How can you be crazy if Douglas witnessed the same things as you? And as for your birth, than I believe they as well. I believe you and not to make you feel better. I am telling you the truth" I machine gunned my words out, never pausing for a breath. Emotions bubbled up like lave, threatening to consume me. Gripping the rails, I watched concern wash over Heather's face. She opened her mouth only to be cut off by my rambling.

"But why did you trust me? I can't believe that you let me into your life. Why?" I finished breathless, my head woozy as if I drank too much. Pinching my nose, I tried to regain order over the chaos raging in my mind. A damp icy chill encompassed my hand as I struggled for composure. Looking down, Heather gripped my hand, squeezing gently.

"Why?" She replied, rubbing her bandages with her free hand. "I believe everyone is out to get me. But I trust you Caleb." Her hand tightened around mine "when I looked in your eyes, they were different than the rest. It's hard to explain but I knew I could trust you because your eyes told me you were like me"

"Alone in this world, unsure about life, wrapped up in yourself and afraid." I finished for her, knowing those were the reasons that attracted me to her.

"Ya, we seem to be a lot alike. That's why I let you into my life. Guess we were meant to meet." She said. "And that is why I told Douglas to tell you about my past because I knew you would believe me"

Early morning kissed the room with a warm radiant hue. Heather appeared angelic bathed in the sun's rays. Out in the hall, the first sounds of a new day drifted into the room. I realized that soon we wouldn't be alone. Whatever needed to happen better happen quickly before we were interrupted again.

"I understand you better knowing your past. It all makes sense to me now. The lights on all the time, the fear of people, all of it. And maybe I figured why you're at the mall all time."

"Why?" she replied. "Tell me your take"

"My take? Well, you're not there to escape life. You're there to recreate the events of that fateful day. You believe if you do everything the same way when Douglas first met you, Silent Hill will be a dream and your"

"Dad, I'm so sorry that I failed you" she interjected. Heather released my hand, burying her face in the pillow. "Dad did protecting me, he hid the truth from me" She said, her mournful cries muffled. "I wasn't his true daughter but he still loved me" curling into a fetal position, a massive weight of grief threatened to crush her. She attempted to yank out her IV but instead wrapped her arms around her legs.

Numbly, I stood there watching her break apart from the inside. When Warren suffered a heart attack a few years back, I remained a man of ice. Now, sorrow burrowed deep into my bones, tears coursing down my cheeks. The band of anxiety tightened further around my chest.

"You're right Caleb. I figured if I relive that day, dad would be alive. Somehow, someway I would wake up and everything would be ok." Heather rolled over, her puffy red eyes searching mine. "But every time I come home, Dad's still dead and I die a little more inside"

Before I could react, Heather snatched my jacket lightning quick. For such a petite girl, she possessed a strong grip. Yanking me down, she stared at me for what seemed like an eternity. Gasping, she buried her face in my chest, crying.

"Don't ever leave me Caleb" She moaned, tears soaking into my jacket. "Please stay with me. Protect me from the dark. Protect me from the monsters. Protect me from myself. I never want to be alone again. Please love me"

I became Heather's crutch as her sorrow paralyzed her. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her. When she didn't flinch, I embraced her tighter. Offering solace to someone still seemed alien to me.

_Should I stay with her, a troubled girl I barely know? Sure, we are a lot alike and she's changed me but still she needs more help than I can offer. But if I left tonight, could I live with the guilt if she died?_

_"No, I won't be able to"_ I concluded, staring out into the brightening sky_."I feel I need to protect_ _her, to be her guardian but why?"_

_"Is it because you have feelings for her? Is it because she's changed your out like on life? Is it because she reminds you of someone?"_ my inner voice respond

_"Yes to all but I feel it's much deeper than that. Something that lies at the core of me but I can't figure out why."_

Releasing her, I pushed her back until she gazed up at me. Taking her chin in my hand, I sighed, allowing my emotions to simmer down then said

"Heather, yes I will stay with you. I promise to always be there and never leave under any conditions. You will no longer be alone." With each word, her face softened and though faint she managed to smile. Those words also united us, two lost souls finally finding companionship

Satisfied with my answer, Heather collapsed into bed, sleep consuming her. As I watched her, I wondered if staying was the correct choice. "Could I actually take care of her when I've never had a friend?" How will I react to her breakdowns and nightmares?"

Right now, the sandman prevented me from answering those questions. Collapsing into a chair, fatigue sucked me into a black pit. In my dreams, an invisible entity pursued me ruthlessly through a maze of charred walls. Every time I stopped, the high pitched wail of a child filled me with icy dread

With her consent, I moved in with her, Warren nearly having another heart attack. It took me awhile to learn to be open with her. I acted awkwardly around her at times and so did Heather. As for my new found emotions, they fluctuated depending on her moods. It took nearly three months before I fully adjusted to being emotional. And when I did, all my uncertainties about staying with Heather vanished. Eventually, we ironed out most of the difficulties our new lives brought forth. However, we still kept secrets from each other, me being the worst.

As the days passed, Silent Hill continued to live vicariously through Heather. Its caustic influence continued to erode her fragile psyche. Her nightmares increased in intensity and violence. Some would last all night with Heather relapsing two or three times. And if she didn't have nightmares, she would sleepwalk. I eventually had her sleep with me to prevent her from injuring herself.

She stopped leaving the apartment, her paranoia all consuming. If I left her for more than a few minutes, she would accuse me of deserting her.

The worst change, in my opinion, was her mood swings. One day, she would remain catatonic, staring blankly at the TV. Despite my best efforts, she remained in her own world. Other days she would break down, crying and wanting her father and those usually led into the worst nightmares. And other times, she would lash out violently for no reason or revert to being an eighteen year old baby.

By the time she turned nineteen, the unrelenting turmoil rendered her completely helpless. She solely depended on me for her every need. Despite all these adversities, I remained stoic, never leaving her side. Day after day, my sense of protection matured, me sacrificing more and more for her. I sold my most precious paintings and belongings. I neglected my health and my needs, always putting hers first. All the time, I believed Heather could sink no further. Little did I realize, the downward spiral had only begun.

Chapter 3

Like every other light in the apartment, the bathroom's buzzing light blazed through the night. I accidently turned it off one night, sending Heather into a screaming fit. to her, the darkness harbored a portal to Silent Hill and her worst fear. This fear manifested itself in the form of a deformed hellish anteater. When I asked her why she feared it so much, she told me it tried violating her when she fell down. Since then, she believed this creature dwelled in every nook and cranny.

In my opinion, the bathroom resembled an abandoned Siberian abattoir. Patches of plaster blistered as if the wall had sunburn. They once had a color but now it had faded. Several spots wept moisture, silent tears for all this suffering.

Despite my best vigorous scrubbing, traces of Heathers blood had leeched into the floor. They white tile now took on a macabre maroon color. Each time I cleaned, I discovered another dry speck hiding somewhere. Even straight bleach couldn't dispel the faint smell of copper hanging in the air.

Placing her on the toilet, I went about my normal nighttime routine. As I fought the faucets to work, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. Wiping away the condensation, the reflection startled me. My once vibrant emerald eyes were now the color of pond scum. A slight tick had formed under my right eye. Once chiseled, my face now sagged in several spots. Though only twenty, my hair had started to thin and gray. Even shaving it didn't help, it just added another thirty years to me. Coupled with a constant sore back, dramatic weight loss and headaches, Heather wasn't the only one suffering drastic changes.

As water filled the sink, I returned to Heather. She sat; shoulders slumped with her mangy hair dangling in her face. A massive weight rested on her shoulders, the weight increasing every day. Taking her hand, I knelt down in front of her, the cold floor numbing my legs.

"Heather? You there?" I said, my fingers tracing the gnarled scars that tattooed her skin. I asked her once why she mutilated herself. She simply told me that she tried to bleed all of Silent Hill's poison out of her.

Blinking rapidly, Heather's haunted eyes focused upon mine. A fire once burned in those eyes but over the months it had been reduced to a mere flicker. A thin cover of skin stretched taunt over the ridges in her face. She appeared ghastly, a visitor from the otherworld.

"Caleb?" she croaked out his name, voice hoarse from screaming. With her free hand, she lightly caressed my face as if I were a ghost about to disappear. Confirming I wouldn't disappear, she collapsed in my arms, sobbing softly.

"Shh, it's okay. You are safe now; nothing is going to harm you" I whispered, rubbing her back. Afraid of a relapse, I held her close. Craning her head up, her lifeless eyes studied me. Sighing, she managed a painfully thin smile.

When Heather relaxed, I stood, kissing her on the forehead. After turning off the water, I rummaged through the battered medicine cabinet. Powerful prescription drugs filled most of the spaces. They quelled the storm in her head but only temporary. I watched her closely anymore for she refused them more often than usual.

At last, I managed to locate just enough gauze to cover tonight's wounds. With every nightmare, Heather succeeded in hurting herself despite my efforts. The majority were minor while others I barely managed to fix them. But Heathers phobia of doctors prevented me from taking to the hospital. I believed that one day; this fear would eventually kill her.

"I need to take your shirt off" I quietly said, fatigue creeping in. Mechanically, she raised her arms, allowing me to remove her sweat stained top. Like her arms, scars snaked their way across her body. Bones threatened to puncture through skin with every breath she took.

With a damp cloth, I cleaned off the sweat and the blood. I gained no sexual gratification from bathing Heather. In all the time that we lived together, I never touched her inappropriately nor forced myself on her. When I first tried cleaning her though, she believed that to be the case. She finally comprehended that I wasn't out to rape her.

Wrapping a towel around her, I ducked back into the bedroom. After two months of living together, I pleaded with Heather to start sleeping with me. After I explained the situation, she relented and now the bedroom had transformed into a storage unit for my stuff.

Standing there, I sighed, rubbing my battle worn face _Heather can't take much more of this. I try my hardest but I don't think it's helping anymore. All I can do is prevent the worse. But can I actually do that?_

After dressing her, I proceeded to treat her wounds. Though not serious, they would add to her patchwork of scars. Outside, a sudden loud crash rose on the waves of raucous laughter. Heather flew into my arms, almost knocking me into the tub.

"Easy, easy, it's nothing Heather." I sensed minor tremors rippling through her body. Fearing another nightmare, I gently lifter her, rocking her slowly. When she didn't relapse, I carried her back to the couch.

After checking to see that danger had passed, I left, returning with a glass of water. Checking the time, early morning would be arriving shortly. As I stepped back into the living room, my heart dropped.

Heather teetered on the edge of the sofa, rocking and whimpering. Her arms coiled tightly around her body, hands dug deep into her shoulders.

"Heather, come on, come back to me" Placing the glass on the floor, I methodically stepped forward. Breathing shallowly, I didn't desire to spook her. As I approached closer, she let out a mournful groan causing me to jump.

"I'm pathetic. I can't take care of myself anymore. I'm nothing, just kill me, and put me out of my misery" she broke into retching sobs as she huddled tighter, threatening to swallow her body whole.

"Yet you stay with me, why? You take care of me, why? You should have left already. You've wasted your life on this miserable wretch" she freed her hands, punching her leg forcefully with each why. When she attempted to rip at her bandages, I stepped in, placing my hands on her shoulders. Heather averted her eyes, focusing them on the floor. This wasn't the first time she broke down like this nor would it be the last.

"I vowed to stay with you and I will" I swallowed hard, pushing down my sorrow. "I've told you that a thousand times and I'll tell you another thousand" Heather tried to interject but I place a finger on her lips

"I love you Heather, more than life itself. You broke me free from my prison and made me experience life. You made me belong in this world; you gave me a purpose, feelings and emotions." Wrapping my arms around her, she squirmed but lost the energy to fight.

Plopping down next to her, I motioned for her to lie down. Biting her lip, she mumbled something but I couldn't make it out. Pulling her close, I kissed her gently.

"What do you need?" I asked, realizing what the answer would be.

"Will you check the apartment?" Heather meekly whispered, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Sure not a problem" I replied

After checking every dark corner in the apartment, I went and double checked the locks on the doors. Satisfied, I returned to find Heather in a ball, gently sucking on her thumb. Careful not to disturb her, I climbed in next to her. Heather snuggled up close to me, one arm around my neck. As she slept, I remained awake until I felt everything would be okay. As the first rays of sun peeked into the apartment, fate would soon deliver us a nasty blow.

**Chapter 4**

Dawn broke icy, bleak light casting murky shadows. An icy mist spattered the grimy patio door. Howling wind whistled eerily through the eaves. Though only mid September, forecasters predicted snow by this afternoon.

Inside the kitchen, I clumsily whisked eggs for breakfast. My movements were zombie like, my eyes sore from little sleep. Stretching, my frame groaned at the aches I've acquired. I had accustomed myself to short nights but at a high price.

As I prepped the coffee maker, my eyes wandered around the apartment. Nothing much had changed in the last year. Time stopped in a way, preserving the depressing environment in mint condition. Even redecorating failed to brighten the mood. The bleakness had leeched the color out of the few paintings I had hung up. The colors had muted, matching the grayness that masked the rest of the place.

"_Its falling apart_" I considered, wondering into the living room _"just like Heather_"

When I moved in, Heather had transferred her father's chair to his room in an everlasting shrine. On occasions, she would spend hours in his room, talking to her dad's ghost. I stayed close for fear of consequences from her talks. A couple of times she showed me pictures of happier times. As the months progressed, Heather would sleepwalk, ending up sleeping on her dad's bed. Despite the bloodstains and the pungent smell, she slept peaceful without any nightmares

Walking back to the kitchen, I glance over at my easel collecting dust. Since I sketched Heather's otherworldly beasts, I could no longer concentrate on painting. Each time I would pick up a brush, I found myself unconsciously painting those creatures over and over. They had become a part of my world whether I like it or not.

"Caleb? Caleb?" my name rose on a cracked hoarse voice. Bare feet slapping on the floor preceded frantic rustling from the couch. Sprinting around the corner, she slipped but I caught her, scooping her into my arms.

"Thought you left me after what I said last night" Heather sniffled, face buried in my chest. She tightened her grip, enjoying being held.

"Nope, why would I do that?" I replied, smoothing her bed head. I've played this game a thousand times where Heather believes I'll leave because of her actions. Even though I've reassured her time after time, she can't get the thought out of her head.

Leading her over to the kitchen table, I seated her so she could watch me. I noticed last night's wounds had opened up staining the bandages strawberry red.

Timid and quiet as a mouse, Heather watched me cooking. I wondered countless times if she would ever recover. Silent Hill had drained almost of her life essence away. Imaging Heather happy, enjoying life only brought more sorrow to my heart. On occasions, she smiled but it seemed to pain her.

Right now, photos were the only place Heather showed happiness.

"Here, eat" I said, placing the food before her. Like her meds, I had to force her despite her objections. Though it wasn't right, there were no other options left open.

"What about you?" Heather meekly replied, wringing her hands

Stooping down, I placed my hands over hers.

"Don't worry about me. You need to eat. Need to keep you strength up" I reassured her, squeezing her hands gently. As I walked back to the kitchen, Heather started to eat in tiny bites.

Grabbing my coffee, I ducked out into the frigid air. Years of neglect caused the fire escape to buckle severally. In spots, the supports pulled away from the brick. Two years ago, Heather pursued her father's killer up these very steps.

Not caring about safety, I stared out into the grey sky. Icy drops needled deep into my bones, the coffee offering little relief. Standing there, I thought about the idea that came to me last night_. It_ _could be Heather's last chance to heal _

Miserably wet, I entered the apartment, Heather still eating like a robot. Rubbing my bare arms, I took a seat next to her. Relief washed over me at the sight of a near empty plate.

"I was planning on leaving for awhile" I said, taking Heather's hand. "I figured you and me could find a place" A soft thump sounded at the front door, cutting off my words. Instantly, Heather crushed my hand, eyes widening in fright. Muscles strained in her neck as she clenched her jaw.

Temporarily calming her down, I quickly trekked to the front door. Peering through the eyehole, nothing could be seen. Cautiously, I cracked open the door, the hinges squeaking softly. Outside, a faint odor of bleach wafted through the halls. Indistinct footsteps drifted down from neighbors overhead. Dust mites danced in the dim hallway lights. Other than that, nothing strange prowled the halls.

Hissing through my teeth, I rubbed my eyes, my fatigue dragging me down. Shaking my head, I caught sight of something at my feet. Stooping, I retrieved a newspaper, prickles of uneasiness raising the hairs on my neck.

Dropping the paper on the table, I again focused on Heather. Kneeling down, I gripped her wrists, feeling how muscles taunt as guitar strings.

"Heather, it's okay, it's nothing" I reassured her, rubbing her arm.

Releasing a hiss of air, she blinked once then twice. Turning towards me, she whimpered then melted like butter in my arms. Once Heather settled down, I returned to the newspaper.

At first glance, it appeared to be a normal local newspaper with comics and news all rolled into one. I reached it for it, then hesitated licking my lips.

_No it's not a newspaper, it's a cobra ready to strike. But why am I afraid to pick it up?_

Daintily, I picked it up, unfurling it like a flag. Searching the headlines all appeared to be normal until I opened the front page. A ten ton weight of dread slammed into my chest. Shutting my eyes, I hoped when I reopened them those words would be a dream. As I fought to regain composure, I never noticed Heather standing up. When I opened my eyes, a sharp cry of angst sounded behind me.

"No, no, no" each word aspirated by a muffled gasp. In a futile attempt, I tried blocking the paper but the fangs had already sunk in.

**_Retired P.I. Douglas Cartland Missing_**

**Authorities were called to 's residence last night around 8:00 pm. One nei**

**ghbor clearly heard the sounds of fighting "as if a war had broken out. Another heard **

**multiple gunshots minutes before the police arrived. When authorities forced open apartment 112, there was no sign of . Signs of a violent struggle were clearly present. There were several deep gouges in the floor and least a dozen 9mm casings. A trial of blood led outside, down the fire escape and then disappeared. A search of the surrounding area turned up empty. If anyone has any information, please contact the local sheriff's office.**

Scrawled in blood across a photo of Douglas were the words Our Retribution Is At Hand.

Heather emitted a gurgling noise as she back peddled. Her feet became ensnared in the rug, sending her crashing backwards into the wall. A sickening crack resounded as her head met plaster. Arms flailing, she pitched forwards about to do a nasty head dive.

Leaping out of my chair, I barely caught her as she crumpled to the floor. Invisible hands tightened an iron band of panic around my chest. Squirming like a fish, Heather managed to break free. She lurched forward, colliding head long into the table. Dishes rattled, the coffee mug teetering precariously. Knocking over a chair, Heather half stumbled, half crawled into her room. Completely numb, it took me a few minutes before I realized what she had planned

"_Please let me be wrong about Heathers intentions" _I thought as I called to her but the words stuck in my throat.

As I tripped into her room, my stomach lurched when I heard the sound of glass being broke. Heart thudding, I pitched through the bathroom like the SWAT team. The iron band clamped tighter causing me to grimace.

Seated on the toilet, Heather brandished a wicked shard of the bathroom mirror. The point gleamed hungrily as it plunged towards her arm. With no time to think, I stepped forward, wrapping my left hand around the shard. Its jagged edges sliced deep into my palm but I canceled out the pain. Heather struggled but I clamped my other hand around her wrist.

"Don't do this, you understand me Heather" I sternly said "Don't give into them, that's what they want. You are better than this"

My words fell on deaf ears however when I looked into Heather's eyes. Like a drug, the shard of glass had hypnotized her calling her name in a sirens song. Even through the worst nightmare, I still could register a small flicker of life in her eyes. Now, they were flat and dead like a doll's eyes.

Twisting, Heather tried in a desperate measure to pull the shard free from my hand. Not caring if I lost fingers, I clamped my hand tighter on the shard, blood dripping slowly from my palm. I needed to bring Heather back quick before any more blood spilled.

"Sorry, my love but I have to" I said, releasing my right hand. With a deafening crack, I backhanded Heather across her cheek. Though I felt sick at hitting her, it did have the desire effect. Like a computer rebooting, her eyes lost their dull luster, life returning to them. She eased up on the shard allowing me to remove it. Throwing it into the tub, I wrapped a towel around it not looking at the damage.

Turning back to Heather, I touched her face, barely catching her as she fell forward. She collapsed into my arms, shoving me against the wall. Curling into a ball, she started wailing like a banshee.

"I'm so sorry" she bawled, snuggling deeper into my arms

"Hush now, its okay" I said, kissing the spot where I smacked her.

"They want revenge, I know they do. That's why I tried killing myself. But now I think about it, don't you think they've gotten their revenge already? I'm an empty husk because they took everything. but I guess they are not content with that, they want me dead" she rattled on, her words mashing together.

Suddenly, she stopped, grabbing my injured left hand. Staring at the bloody towel brought fresh waves of angst and tears. I held her, realizing she spoke the truth. What more could they want from a girl who has nothing left? It just didn't make any sense to me.

Once Heather exhausted her sorrow, I led her to her bed. Sound asleep before she laid down, I stood over her, razors of pain slicing through my hand.

"Don't worry about a thing Heather" I said, waves of nausea setting in. if I didn't take care of my wound soon, there would be trouble. "If push comes to shove, I "I halted wiping my tears away "if push comes to shove, I will die for you Heather. I promised to keep you safe and if it means sacrificing my life then I shall"

My vision stared blurring, sweat dampening my brow. I lowered my head to lessen the vertigo as I stumbled out into the living room. Gasping, I collapsed forward sinking into a sea of darkness

Before Heather's door, I stood feet immersed in a puddle of blood. All around me, the walls pulsated, vomiting the foul liquid I stood in. Touching the walls I pulled away at the feel of the damp leathery walls. Behind the door, an inhuman shriek followed a moist ripping sound. I lifted my hand then dropped it to my side. On the other side, Heather needed my help but could I face her attacker? With a leaden hand, I turned the knob, letting the door creak open. The draft caused by the door caused hundreds of black candles to dance erratically. I now waded knee deep in the fetid blood soup. Coughing at the smell of decay, I searched the room for Heather. When I turned my attention to the ceiling, I stumbled back at the sight. Crucified by a dozen spears, the eviscerated body of

"Heather" I cried out, bolting up. Stars swam in my eyes as I cracked my head on the corner of the kitchen table. Sounding like Velcro, my wounded hand ripped free from the wood floor. Disorientated, I fought against nausea as I painfully collected my thoughts. When the throbbing in head dulled, my surroundings came into focus. The apartment no longer had a lake of fetid blood except the spot where I collapsed. Checking my hand, a gruesome gash ran from pinky to first finger but least it had stopped bleed. Struggling, I managed to stand up on wobbly legs.

"Fuck, what a nightmare" before I could say another word, I walked to Heathers room like a drunk.

_What if Heather really is dead behind this door? What if it wasn't a dream? _I thought, my stomach knotting up. Carefully, I pushed open the door, shocked at what I saw

A tornado had spawned in Heathers bed, blankets and pillows in a haphazard mound. I tiptoed over around the overturn desk chair finding Heather tearing through desk drawers. Throwing papers and trinkets, she paused, cursed then resumed her pillaging.

"Heather, are you okay?" I asked her, my feet suddenly stuck to the floor. She didn't respond just continued her frantic searching. These possessed actions started to concern me

"HEATHER, STOP RIGHT NOW, DO YOU HEAR ME?" I shouted, slamming my wounded hand on the desk. My words rang crisply through the room. In the year we lived together, I never once raised my voice to her. It caused Heather to halt, face scrunching up.

"You yelled at me" she muttered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to" I apologized, my hand a blossom of intense hurt. "But what is this all about" I asked, waving my hand across the chaos.

Flatly, never looking at him, she replied "I'm going to Silent Hill as soon as I find my map. I need to know why they won't leave me be. And I need to save Douglas"

"No, don't you even think about it" I replied, sensing the severity of the situation

"And why the fuck not huh? This is all about me. I thought they had their revenge but I guess not. So I'm going and that's final" Her words sounded strong but I knew she didn't have the strength to back them up.

"No, you are not. Think about it Heather. You're too weak, too vulnerable. You'll walk right into their arms. If you went, you surely will." I couldn't force myself to finish that sentence.

Coming behind her, I squatted down, wrapping my arms around her. Leaning in close, I brushed away her tears. "You will die for sure if out finding out why they want you again" I whispered in her ear "You'll die and so will Douglas. And if you die, then I have nothing left in my life. I don't want to go back living in my shell. If you die, then I will too"

"What choice do I have Caleb?" she said, tilting her head back.

"You don't have to do this alone. Your burdens are also mine. I'm going with you and that's final. And it's not open to discussion" I replied, putting emphasis on the last few words.

As I treated my hand, I realized how drastic the events of the day had changed. Like a snowball, the changes were gathering mass and speed beyond comprehension. Soon, that snowball would crush us both if we weren't careful. Heather appeared gung ho but I understand the fear that ate at her. Going back to the place that had completely decimated her two years prior. My biggest concern was can Heather really do this? Would she break down screaming as soon as she saw Silent Hill? And if she did complete the journey, what would she be like afterwards?

"_Maybe we will both die and that will solve all our problems" _I thought, shutting the apartment door for what could be the very last time

**Chapter 5 **

Outside, the storm had erupted into a ferocious gale. Icy rain pattered a staccato against the windshield. Despite the wipers being on full, the visibility decreased every second. My car splashed waves as I saw huddled figures darting past buildings. They were lost souls eager for any warm refuge against this September fury.

Despite being on high, the heater failed to warm me. The cold that chilled me didn't come from outside but inside. The snowball that had formed this morning now loomed ominously over my head. Soon, we would be too far to turn back if we could. Invisible hands were dragging us against our will. And at the end, Silent Hill waited eagerly for its meal.

Dead tired, I crept slowly over the center lane. A semi blared its horn, snapping me out of my daze. Gripping the wheel tight, I swerved back into my own lane.

"I should have died two years ago" Heather finally said after being mute for most of the trip. She huddled next to me, the coat swallowing her whole. Resting her chin on her knees, she watched the road pass by. Judging by her expression, the near miss didn't faze her at all

"I should have killed their God, then myself. Then I wouldn't have suffered, Douglas would be safe and you" she sniffled. "Wouldn't have met this wretched person."

"And why didn't let me die this morning? I thought ruining my life was their revenge but I guess not, they want me dead. So they're dragging me back to Silent Hill. If you had let me kill myself, I wouldn't be in this fucking mess"

"That's a cowards way out" I snapped back. Reaching for her, I stopped not wanting to risk another crash. "And you, Heather, are no coward. You fought and won against immeasurable. How seventeen year olds could do that? Don't succumb Heather because if you do you're giving up on me, Douglas and especially your father. Do you want to let your dad down?" pinching my nose, I stared to speak again but when I glanced over, Heather snored softly.

Time meandered to a crawl as Silent Hill loomed ominously in the distance. After moving in, I began a lengthy search about the infamous town. I digested articles about disappearances, murders and tragedies. And of course, I read up on the cult of the town, the Order. As I read, I felt an air of familiarity about certain things. I dismissed it but now that familiarity stared creeping back in.

I heard the last sounds as I rounded a steep corner. A ghostly hand flipped the mute switch on the world. Once I passed a rotten deer carcass, a fog stealthy as cat teased its way around the car. Normally, I enjoyed foggy days but a fearful sensation prickled my skin. This unnatural fog shrouded hellish monsters, the devils sulfurous breath. Slowing to a crawl, my eyes darted, vigilante for anything with more than four legs.

Pulling into an observation deck, I spied Toluca Lake wrapped in a ghostly shroud. I read once about all the people the lake had swallowed into its watery depths. How people thought they could see the victims reaching up from the abyss.

Exiting the vehicle, fog engulfed me, visibility all but nil. Checking my watch, I noticed it had ceased working, frozen at 6:35. Back home, darkness would be descending on the world. Here, in Silent Hill, night apparently didn't happen. And if night did happen, I wanted to be miles away from this hell hole. Right now, an eerie light illuminated the world, casting odd shadows. I didn't want to discover the source of the light.

In the passenger seat, Heather slept on, oblivious to our arrival. Grasping a flashlight, I cautiously entered a dilapidated bathroom resembling a Cold War bunker. A stomach curling miasma of decay punched me in the face. Covering my mouth, I played my light around the room. A bomb must have exploded; shards of porcelain littered the floor like teeth. Across a shattered mirror, somebody had scrawled MARY in the grime. I prayed Mary hadn't succumbed to the darkness of Silent Hill.

A car door opening attracted my attention. Stepping out, I located Heather intently staring at Toluca Lake.

"It's quit beautiful in a haunting way" I said, wrapping my arms around her. Heather leaned back, resting her head on my arm.

"You think Douglas is still alive" Heather replied, looking up.

"Don't give up hope so quickly" I said, turning her around. I lifted her head up, starting her in the eye. "Like I said in the car, don't be a coward and take the easy way out. Don't let down the ones you love. You need courage or strength, I'll be here always." I hugged her, wishing the moment would last forever. Afraid she would disappear if I let go, I squeezed tighter till Heather pushed me away. Shooting me a troubled look, she returned to the car as a cold sweat beaded on my brow.

There comes a time in a person's life where critical choices need to be made. Those choices can be a double edge sword however. Make the wrong choice and the entire landscape of a person's life could be ruined. As I walked back to the car, I needed to make a decision regarding this trip. Should we stay and find out why the Order wanted Heather again? Or should I drive out of here and never look back. I doubted Heather would let us leave with answers to be sought and Douglas in peril. But could I save Heather if the time came? Or would Silent Hill's influence erode away my mind like it did Heather's?

After reassuring Heather, we drove into a tunnel that led to the heart of Silent Hill. What waited us on the other side only time would tell.

**Chapter 6**

After exiting the tunnel, I crept methodically down Nathan Avenue. A two lane road, it ran the length of South Silent Hill. Eventually, it connected to West Sanford Avenue and the other side of Silent Hill.

Out in the fog, cars squatted, metal beasts forever lost in this hellish nightmare. Buildings, once thriving now stood abandoned, locked in a timeless void. Each dark window, I believed I witnessed hungry eyes hunting them. If something did attack the car, I would be unprepared since the headlights barely sliced through the gloom.

Despite the unnerving surreal silence, as I drove deeper, I heard soft lapping emitting from Toluca Lake.

"_Were those waves crashing or demonic laughing?" _I wondered, staring over at the lake. Heather, as well, stared out into the eerie landscape.

It took us forty five agonizing minutes to finally reach Jack's Inn. Situated around a central lot, Jack's Inn formed a large L on the map. Our destination was Room 106, right off the main office. One look at the outside, one could imagine stepping back into the 50's. The hotel oozed nostalgia, unchanged since it was built. I dreamed of families staying here in Silent Hill in its heyday. Now, each window opened to its own portal of unfathomable horrors.

I stepped from the car, pulling a black case from the back seat. Opening it, I stared down at the guns that I had "borrowed" from Warren. Being a virgin to firearms, the prospect of firing one scared the hell out of me. But going into Silent Hill unarmed scared me worse than shouting myself. Gripping the cold steel, I did a slow turnaround with ears and eyes tuned to anything. I carefully watched for movement along the rooftop. Once I secured the area, I focused my sights across Nathan Avenue. Rosewater Park crouched hauntingly in a foggy shroud. If something dwelled there, it could easily sneak up on them.

_"I need to be strong for Heather, not a paranoid nervous Nelly." _I told myself "_Be her rock, be her courage"_

Rubbing my eyes, I returned to the car. Heather's posture remained rock like and I didn't blame her. This place took everything from her two years ago and to return took a lot of courage which she didn't have.

"Doing okay, Heather?" I asked, helping her out of the car. Her haunted eyes glare more intently at me. Increased trepidation caused her to huddle closely at my side. One noise would send her over the edge.

"I would have never done this alone. I once was strong but now" she bit her lip "Look, let's just find Douglas and leave. I don't care who's behind this anymore. I just want to go home"

An overwhelming stench of moldy dankness assaulted them as they entered room 106. Dim light struggled to peek through the cloudy windows. I avoided the bathroom at all costs. As I began a search of the bureau under the window, I heard a pained gasp from Heather.

Turning around, Heather bent over one the two twin beds. Decked in retro colors, each bed sprouted a coarse carpet of mold. Coming closer, I saw several photos strewn across the red plaid bedspread. The first one I picked up showed an exterior shot of Douglas' apartment. The second one showed the interior, slathered with blood. Leaning over, the photos Heather had depicted Douglas covered with a black hood, fresh wounds covering his torso.

"No, not Douglas. It's all my fault. First Dad, then now Douglas. I've doomed him" Heather wailed, tears splashing onto the photos. She clenched her hand to her chest, face wrinkling in pain. I stooped down, throwing my arms around her.

"Calm down, Heather, take it easy. There is still hope for him" I said to her. Heather whipped her head around, teary eyes throwing daggers at me.

"Calm down? Take it easy?" her words extremely acidic. "How the fuck do I calm down? I've killed someone else. Me, the fucking screwed up nobody. You said there would be hope, bullshit. Fuck off Caleb" she shouted in my face

I back handed her like I did earlier, the slap sounding like a whip. Dust mites scattered as her head twisted around. Heather reacted as if I had punched her in the mouth.

"Why the fuck did you hit me?" she whimpered, cowering in a ball. All her anger started to drain out of her. Sad doe eyes flickered nervous glances at me.

"Sorry, I hit you." I replied "But you might as well give up right now if you're going to act like that. You'll be easy pickings" I attempted to touch her but she cringed away "Going off in a rage in your weakened state is a recipe for disaster, Heather"

"But he's already dead" she replied, reality sinking in.

"Not true. It means he's injured and needs our help" I reassured her even though I believed Heather's word more than mine.

Extending my hand, Heather hesitantly took it. Helping her up, I kissed the red spot on her cheek.

"You sure Caleb?" She asked, reading my eyes

"Yes I am Heather. We will find him" I said, giving her false hope. In this situation, false hope seemed better than no hope at all.

Outside, the fog still wrapped thickly around everything. It ebbed and flowed over objects, ghostly waves crashing ashore. Highlighting it all, the eerie light produced by the devil's lighthouse.

"So you think he will be at Brookriver Hospital?" I asked, scanning the fog for unwelcomed visitors. _"I'm a fisherman lost at sea with no hope of land" _I mused, chewing my lip

"Brookhaven Hospital and I sure hope so. I went there but Douglas didn't but I don't know where else to look" Heather answered.

"Here take this" I said, handing her the other gun and a light. "I don't want to separate but if we do, you need protection"

"You sure I won't blow my brains out?" Heather said, accepting the gun with an uneasy hand.

_"That's a really good question considering your state of mind. Don't do anything foolish, my love" I thought_

Out of the parking lot they walked, senses tuned to any disturbance. Their echoing footsteps and their breathing were the only sounds. Closer they drew to their destination, unknown consequences awaiting them. Would their journey end with a successful rescue of Douglas? Or would Silent Hill rear its ugly head once more.

**Chapter 7**

An island in the mist, they passed the Texaco Gas Station. Waves from Toluca Lake continued their demonic laughing. Turning left, we started down Carroll St when I stopped.

"Where are your monsters?" I asked, looking at the shrouded hulk of Pete's Bowl-O-Rama. Besides the tilting bowling sign, I thought I saw movement then dismissed it to an over stimulated mind. Even remotely touching the sign would bring it crashing down, alerting our attention.

"Maybe since I don't have God in me, they don't manifest" Heather replied, turning 360 degrees. "They can stay far away"

I agreed with her 100%; I didn't want to face the things that haunted her dreams. Since painting their visages, they had begun to haunt me as well. Beasts seven feet tall with giant clubs for arms or hell hounds, burnt with split heads. If Heather encountered one of them now, she would be easy pickings.

Making a come on gesture, I lead her closer to their destination. Hollow footsteps echoed dully, the fog swallowing them whole. Stunted trees stuck up like the spines of a prehistoric beast. Behind the fences, a beast might be lurking, licking its chops. When we passed Heaven's Night, they sensation of being watched increased. Staring up the steps, nothing moved in the shadowy corners of the building. Taking a step forward, Heather stopped me, scaring the daylights out of me. When I recovered, we walked on until the hospital appeared. Like a scene out of a horror movie, Brookhaven Hospital materialized out of the fog. Though only three stories, the environment distorted its proportions. It loomed like an otherworldly cyclopean tower.

"Abandoned haunted hospital in an abandoned haunted town, yeah this is a good idea" I chuckled nervously, sweat dampening my brow. The gun in my hand weighed about a ton, my grip slipping. Summoning courage took a minute then with a forceful push, I opened the hospital doors with a piercing screech.

My flashlight barely illuminated the far slate colored wall. An oppressive darkness breathed its noxious breath down our neck. Any second, this living entity would sprout tentacles, dragging us to its lair. Yellowed flyers hung limply like a scab from the walls, remembrances of days gone by. A smell of wet spongy earth permeated the air. Underneath that, the faint odor of disinfectant, medicine and sickness with detectable hint of dried blood.

"Here, I found a map in this room" Heather said, approaching a battered door marked reception.

"Behind me" I replied, gripping the knob. I hesitated than flung open the door on creaky hinges. Waving the gun left and right, no creature attempted to disembowel me. Records, books and bottles lay scattered, thrown around in a maelstrom. Heather carefully poked through the wreckage, looking for anything important. Frustration grew on her face until she grabbed a bottle, smashing it against the wall. Storming out of the room, she slammed the door hard enough to wake the dead.

Jogging after her, I found her walking down the corridor at a quick pace. Without a worry, she started jiggling handles on doors despite the presences of monsters. Several discarded stretchers littered the hallway like obscene Halloween decorations. I skirted by them fearing a skeletally grabbing my hand. Finally, Heather located an unlooked door, exam room 1 according to the map.

Somebody had decorated exam room 1 to look like a museum of horrors. On the far wall hung a tattered blood stained dress. Judging by the damage, whoever wore it didn't live very long. Squatting in the corner like a demonic creature, a table held a key suspended in a candle. On closer examination, somebody had gouged 7765 and room S12 in the gnarled wood

"Claudia's dress" whispered Heather, caressing the dress as if a lover "The bitch that killed my father and ruined my life. Does somebody want revenge for her?" she laughed an easy laugh, wrapping her arms around stomach. "This place didn't make sense before and certainly doesn't make sense now." Clutching the dress, she ripped it from the wall with unbound fury. As I watched, Heather tore the dress apart until only confetti remained.

After spitting on it, Heather lowered her head. Turning, she mumbled incoherently to herself as she left the room. I sprinted after her, the snowball continuing to increase in mass.

"Hey, stop this shit right now" I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped back, narrowing her eyes

"This I don't give a fuck attitude Heather. You are going hell bent with worrying about what happens to you. This is not like you at all"

"Look let's just get Douglas and leave alright. I'm sick as soon as we entered this fucking town" she muttered, wiping her damp eyes. She kicked the stairwell door, the bang ringing like a bomb

"Under two conditions. You stop acting like a hothead and you stop acting like you have to do this alone. That's what I'm here for. Okay?"

"Okay" she said as I gave her a quick hug.

Luck on my side, the key granted us access to the stairs. Opening the squeaky metal door, a bloody fetid miasma clung heavy to us.

_"This is what death smells like" _I thought, training my flashlight across the walls.

A menagerie of junk blocked our access to the down to the basement. Chair legs stretched out like the fingers of a supernatural beast. Shuddering, I lead Heather past the stairs, my eyes alert to movement below us.

One step at a time, we ascended the concrete steps. Several boards across the second floor door prevented any further exploration. Heather tagged close behind, bumping into me every time I stopped. Approaching a door, a barely visible three shone in peeling white paint. Painfully slow, I opened the door, gun barrel bouncing like a divining rod. Nothing malicious greeted us expect for more of the oppressing dark.

Across the way, a set of rust orange and battered doors that led to the patient rooms. Next to them, a keypad that would grant us access. My hand shook so badly I had to enter the numbers three times. With an audible click, the doors unlocked and our journey continued

"_This seems way too easy. No monsters, barely any obstacles in our way. I don't like this"_ I considered, wiping my hands on my jeans. Checking the map, I believed Heather to be right behind me. When I turned to ask a question, Heather had disappeared like a magician. Striving not to freak out, I called her name, my tongue sticking in my mouth.

Cracking open the doors, I caught the sight of Heather walking down the hall. Her flashlight bobbed like a firefly in the distance. Again I called her name only she didn't answer. She appeared to be in a trance of sort, unaware of what she was doing. Instead of yelling, I peeled off down the hall on rubbery legs. Halfway down, I watched heather approach door s12.

"Damn it" I grumbled as I put on a burst of speed.

The next series of events seemed to happen in slow motion. Heather pushed the door open; unafraid of what lay on the other side. For a second all appeared to be normal, then Heather screamed. I lunged forward, watching her drop through the doorway. I arrived too late, watching in horror as she plunged into darkness, screaming my name

**Chapter 8**

Her head thumped a drum solo in her head. A bolt of pain screamed its way up her left leg. She tested it, not broke but sore as hell. The gun in her waistband poked deep in her tailbone. Standing up, disorientation swam through her vision producing a queasy sensation

Closing her eyes, she tasted bile hot in her throat. Leaning against the wall, she managed to rebalance herself. All appeared normal when she finally opened them. Stepping forward, she gripped the door knob, expecting Caleb on the other side.

"I tripped that's all. Klutzy me." She whispered, trying to sound brave even though her voice cracked.

Swallowing, she turned the knob, the door squeaking open on its rusty hinges. With the door half open, an invisible force shoved her forward. Crying out, Heather placed her hands to catch herself.

Instead of landing on tile, her hands tore across rusty metal grating. In front of her, the floor disappeared into a bottomless pit. The darkness that oozed forth took on a life of its own.

Scrambling back, Heather reached desperately for the knob but it had disappeared. She'd been here before and vowed to never return. In her nightmares, she fled from monsters, trapped in this hellish otherworld. This place had injected her with an incurable cancer, leaving her broken. Being here again, she didn't possess the strength to bear the brunt a second time.

Staring across the way, Heather witnessed hideous images of mutilated faces hanging on the wall. Her stomach lurched when she discovered they were of her. Like last time, the walls pulsated in a demonic orange light. Bubbling lava breaking from fiery blisters described the texture best.

"Can't do this, can't do this" Heather whimpered, screwing her fists into her eyes. "I don't care about anything else, I just want to leave. Just want" A faint wet snuffling cut off her words

Below, in the abyss, something had detected her presence and wanted to say hello. Greasily, the creature emerged over the grating, mere inches from her.

Heathers eyes bulged out of her head at the creature's emergence. A steel band of panic cinched tight across her chest. Wheezing, Heather screamed but only uttered a chocked gasp. Frozen in place, she watched helplessly as the anteater approached. Before her the creature she feared most, flicked its tongue at her. Last time, these abominations violated her when they knocked her down. From those memories, she believed they dwelled in the dark corners of her apartment. Despite leaving on the lights, there were countless nights she heard them, waiting hungrily for her.

Inches away, Heathers paralysis broke her screams maddening. She fired widely, bullets pinging off the floor. Closer, the anteater approached never minding the gunshots. Since last time, they had undergone a terrifying transformation. Its body extended nearly four feet long from snout to end. Coarse bristles littered its back, bits of flesh caught in them. On its club like arms, three hooked talons clicked loudly on the grating.

When its tongue brushed her foot, Heather scrambled away, screaming. She fell hard, her legs turning into 1000lb weights. Glancing back, three more emerged, sliding like an oil slick over the first.

Like a hunted animal, she fled, her left leg cramping with each step. Looking back, to her horror, the anteaters multiplied to seven. They scampered over one another, fighting for position. She fired, hitting the lead one dead in the head.

Excruciating pain ripped across her chest, the panic attack intensifying. She gulped in air only to receive a burning sensation. Her vision doubled but passing out would be a death sentence. Pressing on, she fought for a place to hide. All doors were sealed, Heather frantically pounding on them.

Stumbling, she reached the end of the hall. Behind her, the anteaters continued to ebb and flow, drawing ever closer to her. Desperately, Heather clawed at the wall, nails ripping off. Without warning, a door opened up, Heather landing painfully on her side.

When she regained her footing, the Otherworld threw another crippling blow at her. Pinned to the wall by the stairwell, the body of her father twitched spasmodically. Gnarled rusty hooks jutted out of the wall, gouging into his flesh. His hands and feet had melted into the wall, contorting the body. As Heather watched, her father banged his head against the wall, then fixed lifeless eyes on her

"You stupid worthless bitch, look what you did to me." Her father croaked, a jagged tongue oozing from his mouth. "Should have left you in Silent Hill, should have never brought you home. You killed me"

With a dry laugh, the thing's head collapsed onto its chest. Seconds later, the thing lifted its head only it wasn't her father's face. Stretched taunt over the skull, Claudia's face started at Heather

"My dear Alessa, why? Why did you reject me and God? If had just listened to me, then you wouldn't have suffered. You would be in a much better place." Claudia hissed at Heather, the words full of icy malice.

Again the head collapsed to the thing's chest. When it arose, the monster that killed her father replaced Claudia's.

"Die, die, die, die" the new voice chanted in a gargled tone "Die like you father" the thing lurched forward, Heather barely moved before a blade erupted from its chest

As Heather sat stunned, the creature retracted slowly before being absorbed into the wall. Seconds later, a crash resounded as the anteaters attempted to break through.

Heather struggled to prevent herself from surrendering to the Otherworld. Her body started to shutdown, her legs not responding at all. Hopelessness gnawed at her deep in her gut. Crying stated to degenerate into a maniacal giddy laughter. She started to lie down, to let death embrace her. The Order wanted her dead and now that would be fulfilled

"Don't be a coward. Fight them" Caleb's voice filled her head as she started to close her eyes. Inches away, the first of the anteaters squeezed through the crack in the door.

"Have nothing left" she muttered "This was a mistake, you were right Caleb. I'm sorry"

"Get up Heather, you're father wouldn't admit defeat so easily. But go ahead and fail him, coward. Fail me, coward. Fail Douglas, coward" The voice now rose to a deafening roar like waves crashing on a shore. Clamping her hands over her ears, Heather shouted for the voice to shut up. But the voice had done its job, rekindling Heather's fire temporarily.

Crawling forward, Heather tottered then sprang into a wobbly run. Ahead, if memory served correct, there would be an elevator. Rounding the corner, she found the elevator's buttons, mashing them rapidly.

With a sound like cannon fire, the anteaters succeeded in breaking open the door. Peeking around the corner, Heather saw more than twenty of them. A few had stopped to lap up fleshy bits from the grating.

"I need you Caleb. Please save me" She prayed, pushing the button until her finger bled. All she desired was to be safe in his arms right now. She never realized she would a person who would love her so much. All his sacrifices for her had taken a toll on him and she would never repay him enough. His support spurred her on even through the bleakest moments. Hearing his voice acted as a temporary fix, seeing him would patch up her shattered hope.

Finally, the doors screeched open enough for her to squeeze through. Stepping through, the doors snapped shut behind her like a steel trap, a wounded animal with no escape.

Looking around, human skins covered the outside of the corroded metal cage. A few appeared to be freshly butchered. The metal cage groaned weakly as Heather scooted to the back. Outside the anteaters arrived, rhythmically pounding on the door. As she prepared for the worst, the elevator shuddered, gears grinding into life. Before she could react, the car descended, Alice plunging down the rabbit hole.

**Chapter 9**

Plummeting like a stone, the elevator descended into unknown fathoms. Heather clung to the cage floor, unable to scream. With no forewarning, the car stopped with the impact of a head on collision. Her head slammed forward onto the floor. Stars twinkled in her eyes, a low ringing in her ears. A dull ache rose from where she bit her tongue

Afraid to move, she lay sprawled, tasting her own blood. Breathing shallowly, she stared at the fleshy ceiling, hoping this nightmare would end soon. Crawling forward, she staggered to her feet, the headache thrumming steadily.

As she stopped to pick up her gun, the doors sprang open. She jumped, screaming bloody as she waved her gun. When no anteaters overtook her, she stepped forward, frayed nervous on edge. Peeking out, a tunnel stretched into the darkness. Panels of rusty metal grating forward the walls and ceilings. Cracked and blood smeared off white tile formed the flooring. A viscous crimson sludge plinked down from the ceiling. With shaky hands, Heather reloaded her gun.

Cautiously, she exited the elevator, waiting for the flood of anteaters. After walking forever, Heather heard a low moan. She pointed her gun, her fingers nearly squeezing off a round. Again, the moaning resounded directly ahead of her. Her heart beat erratically, knowing it might be Caleb

Walking forward, feet mired in an imaginary quicksand, she drew closer to the sound. In an attempt to ease herself, she chanted Caleb's okay in a shaky voice. Soft flickering light shone directly in front of her. Twisted metal pipes constructed a crude obstruction, preventing further advancement

Approaching the obstacle, Heather saw hundreds of black candles littering the walls. An insane painter had smeared the room with viscera. Gossamer strands of intestines dangled from the ceiling. The whole room reeked of a putrid abattoir

At the back of the room, the moaning continued followed by a weak groan. Shining her light into the gloom, Heather regretted the decision immediately. Suspended from the ceiling, Douglas hung like a side of beef. Thick tendrils of razor wire bounded around his wrists. Massive shackles cuffed his ankles to the wall. A multitude of gashes littered his battered body. Naked, save for a pair of boxers, Douglas struggled against his bounds.

"Heather" he croaked, then coughed violently blood spewing from his busted lips. The wire dug deeper into his wrists, Douglas screaming in agony.

"I'm sorry Douglas. Never meant for this to happen" Heather dropped to her knees, dragging her nails down her face. This time, no invisible voice could keep the despair at bay. It swarmed around her, crushing the remaining life out of her.

"Don't be, not your fault" he breathed labouredly, pain pinching his face "Heather, please leave now. Forget about"

Cumbersome footsteps cut off the remainder of his words. Out of the shadows, stepped a creature worse than the anteaters. Roughly seven feet tall, his dress mimicked Valtiel's. Where the head should be, a massive pyramid shaped helmet adorned his muscular shoulders. The thing groaned the burden of the helmet immense. Unlike Valtiel, this creature's intentions were laced with malice.

As Heather watched helplessly, the creature embedded a spear into Douglas's chest. Twisting it viciously, the tip ground through flesh, muscle and bone. Douglas's agonized screams echoed deafening in the enclosed space. Yanking out the spear, the creature plunged his hand into the gaping wound. With a moist ripping sound, the creature removed the still beating heart. Facing Heather, the creature flung the heart through the pipes, the organ smacking her in the chest

Collapsing, Heather curled into a fetal ball, placing her thumb in her mouth. All her systems began to shut down; nothing would stop them this time. Remaining life and sanity leeched slowly out of her. For too long, she desperately struggled to keep from drowning in the darkness that filled her. At times, she wanted nothing but the sweet sensation of letting go. Caleb saved her, kept her feet planted firmly in the world. This time, he had failed her despite his undying pledge to save her. However, it was ok because her suffering was at an end. A strange serenity encompassed her as the creature approached. Through her eyes, she saw not death but her father, arms waiting to embrace her.

Barreling down the hall, I watched Heather topple over. Fearing the worst, I put on a burst of speed, ignoring the pain burning in me. Ahead, a creature approached Heater behind a tangle of pipes. Feeding a spear through, he prepared to end her existence.

"Leave her alone" I shouted, firing a salvo of bullets. The gun boomed deafening, sounding like an artillery barrage. To my surprise, my aim seemed to be dead on.

Pyramid Head halted as the rounds tore into his torso. Three holes decorated his pallid skin, leaking a black gunk. Going for broke, I emptied the clip, one bullet ringing gong like off the massive helmet.

"Come on fuck face, try it" I never faltered, despite the obvious risk involved. Defiant I stood, inches separating us, me awaiting the next move. Instead of fighting, Pyramid Head growled deeply then retreated back into the darkness.

Despite being successful, I couldn't lower my gun. My jaw ached from clenching it so tight. Cramps developed in my arms from being overly tense. Various pains fluctuated in intensity with every breath I took. Worse, my mind had been put through Hell's wringer washer.

No sooner had Heather disappeared, I followed her into Hell. One glance at the transformation and I understood why she had deteriorated after her last visit.

Running down the hallway, the sensation of being trapped in a blast furnace came to mind. Squinting failed to lessen the glare from the pulsating walls. To my surprise, none of Heather's creatures manifested to attack me. At the end, a door stood ajar to my right. Figuring Heather resided inside; I opened the door with a wary hand. A black cube, the only things in the room was an old projector and a battered screen. Coming close, the projector whirled to life despite not being plugged in.

Images flashed across the screen, each new one punctuated by a flash of light. A family, parents, brother and sister, their faces marred by an X. They transgressed age, each new image showing the kids one year older. As the holidays and birthdays ended, a group shout filled the screen. Judging by the age, the boy was nine and the girl six. Like a magician revealing a trick, the X slowly faded. When the faces appeared, I reeled back in utter horror. Gasping, I fled the room, colliding with the opposite wall.

An invisible hand turned a valve in my mind, releasing a torrent of long forgotten memories. The people I saw each had a name, the boy especially. Barreling down the hall, I tried stemming the flow, to no avail. The memories bombarded me, my senses being overwhelmed. As I as I fled out into the adjacent hall, I wanted to be in my shell again, to be emotional numb instead of being crushed from within. Leaning forward, I vomited, black spots erupting before my eyes. Stumbling, I slid down the wall as my body rebelled.

"I don't want to see those memories again" I muttered to the emptiness. My stomach heaved again but I chocked it down. "I locked those memories for a reason. I want them gone again."

"You see why Heather broke down after being here. And now it's your turn Caleb" my inner voice mockingly said. "She's probably dead because you failed to save her."

"No, she's alive" I answered back.

"'How can you do anything when this Hell is raping your mind?" the voice responded.

"Like this" I shouted, cracking my head against the stairwell door. My vision doubled, the room beginning to grow fuzzy. Finally the inner voice receded, leaving only a dull ache. And the images faded as well being replaced by Heather's face.

Once my body returned to normal, I located the elevator only to find it at the bottom. With a delicate touch, I descended down the ladder in the shaft. After an agonizing time, I found myself here, staring at Douglas's mutilated corpse

"Douglas my friend, I'm sorry" I said, needles of pain poking me behind my eyes. Collecting my thoughts, I turned to the prone Heather. I checked her pulse, her skin the texture of wet clay. Shining my light in her eyes, her pupils were fixed and dilated. Pinching then slapping her cheek failed to yield any result. Pinching close her nose, instead of springing awake, she only emitted a low gurgle. Finally, Silent Hill had stolen the last of her life. Striving not to break down again, I picked her up gently. Normally, she would snuggle deep in my arms but now her arms dangled loosely like a puppet's

Starting down the hall, the harsh truth starting to hurt more than my head. Even with we made it home, it probably wouldn't help any. Heather had wilted away, the chance of recovery slim at best. Regardless, I would still take care of her if we lived

A bloodcurdling screech derailed my train of thoughts. Breathing hard, I craned my neck around, my stomach knotting up. Breaking through the pipes, Pyramid Head decided on round two with me. Stepping through, he dragged his spear across the floor, thudding closer to me.

I hoisted the limp body of Heather over my shoulders, my body groaning. Panic gripped me as I bolted toward the elevator. Closer, Pyramid Head stalked, his miasma threatening to smother me. Soon the spear would hone in on my body, cold steel lacerating flesh and spilling blood.

Surging forward, I mustered enough strength to squeeze into the elevator. Inches away, Pyramid Head stormed after us, spear hoisted.

Placing Heather on the floor, I drew my gun, my chances of survival dropping. I fired, emptying the clip teeth rattling from the recoil. To my dismay, Pyramid Head shrugged them off like pesky gnats.

"Fucking shit, move you damn rust bucket" I hollered, pounding on the half closed door. Detecting movement, I ducked as the spear shoot into the cab.

Lucky for me, Pyramid Head's girth prevented him entry. His spear swished through the air, Ahab searching for Moby Dick. Acting before thinking, I wrapped my hands around the spear's shaft. A tug of war ensued until Pyramid Head yanked with supernatural strength. The spear tip tore through my palms like a hot knife through butter. Blood dripped freely, a searing needle of pain up each arm

As Pyramid Head readied for another attack, the doors squealed shut, darkness descending upon us. Taking off like a rocket, the elevator ascended as violent shaking threatened to rip the cab apart.

Jumping over Heather, I landed awkwardly on my left side. Protecting her at all cost, I smothered her as the shaking intensified. As quickly as it started, the elevator stopped abruptly. A dim light twinkled like a faraway star in the ceiling. Lying there, I wondered what other surprises awaited us before passing out

**Chapter 10**

Coughing, I awoke abruptly, wondering where I'm at. Crawling off Heather, my hands were a blossom of searing pain. Each palm grinned a jack o lantern's crooked smile. Surprisingly, the wound from this morning hadn't opened up. And my hands weren't the only source of pain with the adrenaline rush gone. A splinter of pain in my side erupted as I sat up. I needed first aid but more pressing matters needed to be addressed.

Next to me, Heather continued to imitate a life sized doll. Her skin had mottled into an ashy grey hue, her glassy eyes staring into an abyss. Hauling her up, her head lolled to one side. Clasping her arms, I pressed my head against hers.

"You stupid child." I hissed, breathing in the odor of pungent sweat. "I told you not to go off like that. And did you listen? NO!" Now I screamed, shaking her like a dog's chew toy. Disgusted, I let her go, Heather sliding down the wall into a crumple heap

After the night at the hospital, our bond became more concrete. This bond also acted like a lifeline of sorts, keeping Heather here with me. It prevented her from slipping beneath the darkness that threatened to consume. Over the months, the bond had frayed yet remained strong. Now, the bond had snapped, Heather receding into the darkness, hope all but gone.

"No, it's not your fault. It's my fault I failed to save you. I should have done more to prevent you from running off. I vowed to protect you, to die for you" A grief more acidic than ever ate me down to my core. "I don't deserve to live for this failure"

During the ascent, the hospital reverted back to normal when I opened the doors. The slate colored walls no longer burned with hellish intensity. My feet stepped onto tile, not grates with vast chasms on each side. I breathed in the stale smell, cleansing my nose of the fetid meat odor. And no immortal killer remained when I stuck my head out.

Bundling Heather up in my coat, I crept cautiously into the hallway. An acute pain threatened to cripple me as I carried her to the exit. Each breath felt like breathing in shards of glass. Despite the pain, I quit caring. I needed to be punished for failing the girl who set me free.

Hesitating at the exit, I weighed my options. On the other side, two things could transpire. Either the Otherworld remained or the fog world had returned. If the Otherworld did remain, our chances of survival were nonexistent. Muttering a prayer, I pushed open the doors

The transformation in the hospital left the town alone. Thick tendrils of fog still shrouded everything in mystery. Being in the openness, the smothering claustrophobic feel of the hospital disappeared. Peering into the gloom, the notion of Pyramid Head waiting for us occurred.

"Know what Heather?" I said, shifting her weight as I walked down Carroll St. "Silent Hill answered all my questions. Who I am, my birthplace, and my parents. It told my why I became emotionless and cold. And why you attracted me so much" stopping dead, I gritted my teeth as a stabbing pain erupted. Or could it be the pain of loss joining grief and despair at destroying my wounded heart?

Sweating profusely, I continued unabated on my death march. No longer wanting to be contained, the memories struggled to break free. With the last of my will power, I forced them back down

"And why I believed your story. It wasn't just Douglas; I've been to Silent Hill before"

Passing Texxon Gas, I coughed sharply, tasting blood. Ignoring it, I continued as my body screamed for me to stop. The wounds on my hands throbbed like a dull toothache. As I shifted Heather, they stuck to her clothing. My head thumped, a queasy sensation churning in my guts

"You will not stop until you get Heather to safety" I scolded myself as Jack's Inn appeared out of the fog.

With a deal of effort, I placed Heather into the passenger seat. During the trip, she had fallen asleep. I watched her eyelids twitch rapidly, sure sign of a nightmare. Kissing her, I stood there, realizing nothing would be the same

"I'll take you to Warren, he can take care of you" I wept, fire burning in me "Then I can die happy knowing you are safe. Only wish I could have told you about my past"

With one last kiss, I closed the door then turned into the fog

**Chapter 11**

"He's the one who killed your father" Claudia pointed to an immerging figuring out of the gloom.

Like a demon from hell, the creature stepped forward. Dressed in rough woven outfit, a coarse burlap sack covered its head. Gripped in each hand, two massive blades were stained with Harry Mason's blood.

"I'll shall see you where this all began, in Silent Hill" Claudia said then turned into the darkness and disappeared.

Turning toward the creature, Heather wondered if she had the strength to fight him. Just moments ago, she had found her father in his favorite chair dead. When she arrived home, she believed the nightmare to be over. She had hoped her father would provide questions to all the answers that burned inside her. Instead, she discovered her entire world covered in blood, slumped over in his chair. Grief crushed her as she collapsed onto the floor. She bawled, the raw hurt brought on by his death digging in its ragged claws. As the tears dried up, she spotted bloody footprints leading up to the roof. Now, she faced down her father's killer, hoping she could avenge him

"Come on you ugly fucker, I've got a score to settle" Heather said, the creature just a few inches away. If all else failed, she knew what had to be done. Glancing over at the roof's edge, which would be the spot where she would lure the creature. Then she would grab the bastard and together they would plummet to their deaths

"I've got nothing left to lose. Ill shall avenge you dad even if I die"

Heather raised her gun slowly knowing each bullet had to count. As she prepared to squeeze off a round, the killer stopped. Being a smart girl, she didn't buy into the stalling tactic. Closer her finger closed around the trigger until the creature started laughing

"Whoa Heather, don't shoot" the creature said holding up its blades. Freeing its right hand, the creature reached up and removed its burlap mask.

The sight acted as a violent push, slamming Heather to the ground. A tingling pain arose from where she cracked her tailbone. Her mind couldn't comprehend this turn in events

"Sorry about that Heather" Caleb said, taking a step forward "I didn't mean to kill your father but he wronged the Order" He raised a dirty finger, making a tsk tsk motion "He stopped their plans seventeen years ago and stole you away from them. But good news, I didn't make him suffer" Then he laughed, deep raspy laugh that boomed like thunder.

Skittering backward, Heather tried to create distance between the creature and herself. Absolute terror filled her grief stricken heart as a panic attack started. Her lungs turned to iron, the air in them catching. Leaning over, she puked the first signs of blacking out forming. When she looked again, the Caleb monster loomed over her, the stench overpowering.

Without warning, she found herself plummeting into an abyss. Her arms flailed, grabbing for purchase but found nothing. Over and over, she tumbled wanting to scream only no sound escaped her lips. Looking up, the Caleb monster slowly faded into an indistinguishable blur. As she watched, he held the head of her father aloft, accusing eyes transfixing upon her. Then darkness overwhelmed her, an unknown fate as she fell farther into the void.

Further she plummeted into the audient void. As she tumbled, images of her life past and present flickered before her eyes. They started out with images of her young life and the wonderful experiences she enjoyed with her father. Next came her teenage years where she rebelled despite the dissatisfaction from Harry. The final images meddled together then broke apart into a bizarre surreal collage. They consisted of the discovery of her past, her father's murder and the events of Silent Hill

As soon as they formed, they disappeared in a brilliant white flash. Below her, a pinpoint of white light pulsated. Spiraling closer, the pinpoint erupted into a blinding sun. all around her, the black void disappeared in another brilliant flash. Shielding her eyes, Heather tumbled once then her body halted. Invisible hands held her in a standing position

As she hung helplessly in the air, she wondered what would happen next. Off in the distance, in the corner of her eye, movement flickered. A fuzzy black object wavered then appeared to draw nearer. Humming, low and faint, filled her head.

As she struggled to keep her eyes on the fuzzy object, more shapes appeared. They wavered like a reflection in a pond. Then one by one the objects manifested into solid cohesive shapes. twin stone pillars in front of her, each holding several flickering candles. Between them, a stout wooden podium in which the fuzzy object now stood behind. Tapestries adorned the top of the object, spilling over onto the floor. Behind the object, panes of ornate stained glass were set into stone walls. Heather caught the scent of aged piney wood, the cloy smell of incense and something sickening.

"Oh good, you're finally coming around." The fuzzy object said, approaching her. It morphed into a frail, elderly woman shrouded in a long blue dress. Around six feet, her face consisted of grayish white skin stretched taunt over her skull. There were no soft edges only razor sharp edges so sharp they could cut. She fixed flat black eyes upon Heather.

"I believed the incidents in the hospital finished you off" her voice frigid, full of coarse bitterness. Her pencil thin lips parted in a shark's grin. "I thought my servant had killed you but you prove resilient like your father. Do you remember the incidents of today?"

_Douglas abducted_

_Silent Hill_

_Brookhaven Hospital_

_The Otherworld_

_The creature who butchered Douglas_

_Caleb_

Like waves, the incidents of today crashed into Heather's mind. Each incident woke her up little by little. Then another memory woke up deeper in her mind. This place, she remembered it, it was the church where she met up with Claudia. The church where she battled God and lost her soul. Heather cried out only to produce a dry cough. Her system had been battered senseless and now it was rebooting. Nothing coordinated when Heather tried to use it.

"Good, you do remember" Again the grin followed by a slap that echoed like a gunshot throughout the church. "Now we can address the matter at hand. You can release her now"

Heather found herself being dumped like garbage onto the floor. Behind her, Pyramid Head growled then retreated into the church's shadows. The sensation of tumbling through space had been the monster carrying her.

Climbing to her knees took a great deal of effort. Heather heaved as the whole room spun but only produced the dry hacking cough. As she looked around the church, things went fuzzy then refocused. Her arms were like limp noodles, her hands like stone.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Anna Belle." The old woman said, returning to the altar. "I was one of Vincent's students after spending a few years at the Wish House Orphanage. Everything the Order preached, I consumed it all. Then your father ruined it all" walking over to a burnt out candle, she replaced it with a fresh one

"When Claudia found you, the child stolen from us, my hopes were renewed. I prayed for the birth of Paradise" Anna Belle raised her eyes to the ceiling, lost in that thought "And then like your father, you ruined it all. You killed Vincent, you killed Claudia, and you killed God" She screamed, the accusing words ringing crisply through the church.

"You should have died. Yet you persevered despite being tortured, broken by the hell you saw. And it was all because of him" Anna Belle pointed a bony figure at a heap on the floor. Heather's heart dropped when she saw it was Caleb

"I couldn't stand it any longer. So me and my servant kidnapped the old man and lured you back home. Even then you somehow survived but not this time. Oh no, not this time" she laughed a watches cackle, raising the hair on Heathers arms.

"I'm going to seal you away in the Otherworld. No escape, no hope. You'll relive your father's death again and again. You will be haunted by the creatures you fear most. My servant will encourage you when you falter. You may last a long time or not as long as you" A chunk of masonry whizzed through the air, cutting off her words. The stone, big as a softball, shifted her jaw from left to right, teeth clinking to the floor. Blood gushed from her scalp being peeled back from her skull. Her left eye popped like a grape, viscous fluid oozing down her face. Anna Belle collapsed into a heap, twitched they laid still.

Heather followed the rock back and her heart fluttered with joy. Though worse for wear, Caleb still lived.

After putting Heather in the car, I remembered nothing. Bucket head must have snuck up behind me and knocked me cold. Just minutes ago, I regained consciousness instead a dilapidated church. An old hag had been spewing rhetoric about how Heather would be punished and so on. Locating a loose stone, I chucked it at her as hard as I could. I didn't expect it to mash her face like an overripe tomato.

Climbing painfully to my feet, I gingerly stepped over to the body of Anna Belle. Her ruined face stared at me, my stomach splashing. One eye dangled from a crushed eye socket like a morbid child's toy. I couldn't believe that I had killed a human being so brutally. Turning my back on the corpse, I stooped down in front of Heather

"Heather, come on say something" I said patting her face gently. Faintly, almost undetectable, a flicker of life sparkled in those dark eyes. The dead stare of the hospital had vanished, the catharsis loosening its iron tight grip. Relief washed over me knowing I could save Heather after all

"Ca. Ca. Caleb?" she stuttered, grimy fingers delicately touching my face.

"I'm getting you out of here and this time I mean it" I started to help her up when her eyes became big as saucers. Chocking on her words, she jabbed a finger behind me

Seconds later, I became weightless as massive hands hoisted me off the floor. Pyramid Head had snuck up silent as death upon me. Now his hands clamped down with a brutal force, my left collarbone snapping. Screaming, Pyramid Head flung my broken body across the room. I barely corrected my flight before I collapsed on the floor. Lightning bolts of pain flashed in hundreds of spots throughout my body.

Gagging on blood, I flipped over, death stalking closer. Instead of using his spear, which rested on the altar, he intended to crush me like a bug. Inches from me, Pyramid Head halted, prepping for the kill. Throwing up my hands, I prepared to meet my maker. At first, I believed what I saw to be an illusion. When Pyramid Head placed a hand on the shaft sticking out of his chest, I couldn't understand how.

Looking behind him, Heather, with what little energy she possessed, had stuck his spear through him. All the times I've saved her and now she had returned the favor.

Collapsing, she stared at me as Pyramid Head staggered around trying to free the spear. Close to the edge, he teetered then pitched into the pews. Wood splintered as if a bomb exploded, chunks of oak shrapnel zipping through the dusty air. Crawling to the edge, I watched as our antagonist groaned then his body went limp

Not wasting time, I helped Heather up despite a thousand daggers of pain in my shoulder. Arms around each other, we walked down the church aisle. Both our bodies were shot, the end finally in sight. Questions were answered and the truth revealed. After today, our lives were irreversible affected especially mine. I needed to tell Heather the revelation that happened in Brookhaven Hospital.

Approaching the door, a loud deafening boom echoed throughout the church. Out of his wooden coffin, Pyramid Head arose once more. Gripping the spear, he slid it out his chest. Turning towards us, he stormed forward, revenge burning on his mind. At that moment, I felt like those teenagers in those slasher flicks.

Hurrying through the doors, our killer approached with his spear hoisted. Bracing myself against the door, I shouted to Heather.

"Listen to me, you leave now. This bastard is going to follow us so save yourself." Seconds later, I nearly went sprawling as the demon collided with the wood. A spine chilling growl emitted from Pyramid Head as he sought our bodies. Digging in my heels, I fought to keep the door shut. With my battered body, I couldn't barricade Pyramid Head out long

"No, can't leave you" Heather replied, bursting into tears. She took a step toward me but I held up my hand to stop her.

"Get the fuck out of here. Don't you understand me? Leave me and save yourself. I will not say it again. GO!" Anger laced words spewed out of me, hitting Heather hard. Cringing back, she looked like a lost puppy. The booming continued, each concussive force rattling my bones. "Look, go to the Lakeview Hotel, I'll meet you there. Now go"

Heather hesitated, then with a hushed I love you, bolted up the stairs. Heart pounding, she forced herself not too look back. If she did, then she would turn around. She had to trust Caleb like she always did. He never once did the wrong thing for her. So she shut out the images of the monster at the door and sped up the stairs.

Bursting out into the park, she put on a burst of speed. Her body ached severely like needles being inserted into her bones. Swallowing all the pain, she wove her way through Lakeside Amusement Park. Exiting out onto W. Sanford Ave, it took a minute to figure out which the direction the hotel resided. Gulping in a lungful of burning air, she ran to the hotel all the while praying for Caleb's return.

With Heather gone, I knew my time had arrived. Dying didn't scare me as Pyramid Head continued his incessant pounding. Until Heather broke me from my shell, I hadn't really lived. And I promised I would die for her in which that promise would soon be fulfilled. As my body weakened, I realized I made a horrible decision. Instead of the hotel, I should have told Heather to go back to the car and leave. If I didn't show up, what would Heather do? In her state, the answer came to me clearly.

The pounding stopped, an unnatural calm settling over me. Believing my tormentor had left, I moved which proved a mistake. Pyramid Head crashed through the door like semi truck, sending me sprawling. My broken shoulder collided with the wall, my left arm going dead. With my right arm, I clawed forward towards the steps. Behind me, Pyramid Head methodically stepped forward, savoring the moment.

"What's the matter fuckface? You pissed at me?" my words raspy from all the blood "well too bad, you or anybody else won't get Heather, so eat shit bucket head" I broke into a giddy hysterical laugh as Pyramid Head approached, spear inches away

"Heather, my love, I'm sorry. I will always love you" then I closed my eyes and waited my fate.

Pacing like a caged animal, Heather waiter for Caleb to return. She couldn't tell how long it had been but to her it seemed an eternity. Several times, the thought of him never returning crossed her mind. To settle her mind, Heather had chewed her nails raw.

"Please come back to me" Heather chanted, the sick sensation in her stomach not subsiding.

To past the time, she remembered back to when fate brought them together. Ever since the events of Silent Hill, she walled herself off from the world. She couldn't trust anybody no matter how friendly they were. It frightened her when this stranger followed her around the mall. At first, she believed him to be a member of Claudia's wanting revenge. Then she accidently looked at him one day and found herself looking in a mirror. This stranger possessed the same haunted lost eyes as hers. Like her, he too seemed wrapped up in himself, shunning the people around him. Just a trick Heather kept saying to herself until that fateful night. After the stranger saved her from the rapist, she could see that this person meant her no harm. She could trust him and didn't have to worry about being frightened.

From that night forward, Caleb filled the emptiness in her heart. Heather didn't want to admit it but she felt unworthy of him. No matter what she wanted, he made sure she her life was perfect. And if he didn't return, her life would be over.

Finally, her mind reached its breaking point and she couldn't stem the tide. Images of Caleb butchered like Douglas overshadowed the happy memories. The pain of loss crushed down on her shoulders, the emptiness in her heart returning. Grabbing her gun, she studied it with deep intent. One bullet could end all the incessant murmuring in her head.

"I know Caleb's dead so why am I still here?" she cried out into the fog. No answer came back so Heather made up her mind. Raising the gun with a shaky hand, she pressed the barrel to her head. The cold steel felt comforting like a lovers touch. As she prepared to pull the trigger, a strong wind enveloped her. Unlike everything else in Silent Hill, this wind felt warm, pleasant. Tightly the wind wove through her and that's when Heather detected it. She recognized it as her dad's musky aftershave. As the wind died down, she heard a faint whisper.

"Be brave, Heather. Don't give in please"

"Dad" she whispered "why should I live when Douglas and now Caleb are dead?"

"Don't give in my daughter. All hope is not lost, don't give up. I will always love you. I am so proud of you" then the voice disappeared, leaving Heather alone

"Dad, don't leave me again" she cried out, hoping he would return

A wave of grief slammed into her, tears streaking through the grime on her face. Wrapping her arms around her, she bawled not caring what heard her

"Nothing but a trick, nothing but a cruel trick" she blubbered, shaking her head

Lost in her mourning, Heather didn't her the shouting at first. When she heard it, panic froze her in place. Straining, she tried to decide what the shouting could be but the shouter seemed close. Climbing to her feet, she stared out into the fog. Materializing out of the gloom, a figure approached. Heather lifted her gun, holding it with both hands since they shook so badly

"Heather, Heather, where are you?" the shouter drew closer, its steps wobbly and uneven. It stopped, appearing to clutch its side. A thick coughing followed punctuated by a curse.

Taking a chance, Heather shouted "Caleb is that you?"

"Heather, I'm coming for you" Then, instead of a monster, the love of her life approached

Stepping forward, instead of embracing me, Heather slapped me across the face. Taken back, I stared at her in disbelief.

"YEE OW, what in the hell was that for?" I replied, rubbing my stinging cheek

"Wanted to make sure you were real"

"I'll show you I'm real" I replied, stepping forward grabbing her head. Locking lips, I proceeded with a deep passionate kiss. My heart fluttered, a burning hot sensation flowing through me. "That real enough for you?"

"Ya" she mumbled, blushing beet red beneath the grime

"Sorry to yell and worry you so much"

"I thought you were dead"

"Ya, old bucket head did have the upper hand" I said "But your friend saved me"

"Friend?"

"Ya Valtiel "I replied then recounted my experience

As I closed my eyes, I heard a faint rasping sound. It sounded like two stones be rubbed together or metal on stone. Figuring it to be big ugly, I prepared best I could for my end. Seconds ticked away but no spear entered me. Cracking open one eye, I saw another creature crouching in front of me. Dressed in a filthy smock, its entire head was encased in a leather like mask. As I watched, this new creature stood defiant between me and Pyramid Head. Then to my surprise, Pyramid Head turned and departed leaving me and this new creature alone. Turning around, I remembered who this creature may be.

"Valtiel?" I whispered as I watched his head twitch. A faint low buzzing filled my ears as Valtiel approached me

A rough woven glove caressed my face as I stared eye to eye with this creature. I wanted to scream but held my breath instead

_"Is Valtiel going to hurt me? He saved Heather but I'm not her" _I thought as he studied me with growing interest

Pulling away, he wrote something on the wall. Leaning close, I read the word HEATHER in broken scrawled letters. I nodded my head yes, hoping that she still lived.

Again Valtiel touched me, signaling with his other hand to follow him. Together, we climbed up the stairs and out into the park. He stayed with me all the way like a loyal dog. My fear of him diminished as the exit loomed in the distance. Thanks to him, I didn't have to look over my shoulder for Pyramid Head

"I turned around Heather to say thanks but he was gone"

"Just glad you're safe" she collapsed into my arms where I hugged her with my good arm

"Lets go home, what do you say?"

By the time we returned to Jack's Inn, we were both dead on our feet. This time, we would be leaving Silent Hill with no interruptions. Asleep before I pulled out of the lot, Heather seemed peaceful for once.

Winding my way through the streets, I realized the nightmare had ended. Now the healing could begin for the both of us. Driving by the observation deck, I looked out upon the shores of Toluca Lake. As mysteriously as it appeared, the fog receded. Like the fog, the burden of Silent Hill had been lifted from Heather. Her life could begin again without fearing the unknown. With the town in the distance, I headed for home.

**Chapter 12**

We both spent a week in the hospital licking our wounds. Silent Hill had turned me into a human crash test dummy. Besides a cracked collar bone, a broken rib nicked my lung but thankfully didn't penetrate too deep. And it took fifty stitches total to mend my hands back together. I wondered if I would be able to paint again. All in all, we both survived serious physical injuries. The mental wounds would prove to be a lot more severe.

Instead of heading home, we decided to crash at Warren's. Heather still had trouble trusting people but warmed up to him with my help. And like her trust issues, Heather continued having her nightmares. Thanks to Silent Hill again, they reached a new plateau of violence and intensity. One such night, it required both me and Warren to settle her down. I too started having nightmares thanks to the unchained memories. As for telling Heather, I wanted the timing to be perfect. A week later, the time arrived on a bleak Tuesday morning.

After another tumultuous night, I left Heather to sleep. Coming into the kitchen, Warren fixed a concerned look on me. Since arriving home from Silent Hill, I believed he knew something was amiss.

"How's Heather?" he asked, folding the paper neatly in front of him. He tapped a pencil on the cracked Formica tabletop as he watched my movements.

"Sound asleep finally" I replied, pouring a cup of coffee as black as crude oil. The caffeine shoot through me, chasing away some of the weariness

"Poor girl. She's lucky to have you Caleb"

"And I'm lucky to have her" I said, seating myself across from Warren

An uneasy silence filled the tiny kitchen as our eyes locked. Suddenly, the coffee tasted like vomit as I nervously licked my lips. Warren's eyes picked through my brain, searching for what he wanted to know. No longer did my body belong to me as I struggled not to puke.

"You know about your past don't you" he replied, knotting his gnarled fingers under his chin

"What? But how?" I answered back flabbergasted. The coffee splashed in my stomach like corrosive battery acid

"Because you went back home, Caleb. And you've changed just like when you first met Heather. I can tell a burden has been lifted from your shoulder."

"Yeah" the word fell out of my mouth like a stone

"And you haven't told her yet?"

"No, I want the time to be right before I tell her"

"Tell me what?" A sleepy voice behind me said

"Here take this, it will explain thing better." Warren said, sliding over a scuffed leather photo album. Standing up, he collected the paper then headed for the back door. "You need me; I'll be in the garage. Take your time" and then he left, leaving me and Heather alone.

Once Warren left, I sat there like a mannequin staring blankly at Heather. My tongue froze to my mouth, my lips made of wood. My brain said to move but my body refused to. A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.

"Tell me what?" Heather repeated, her wary eyes never leaving mine.

"Uh Heather" My words thudding out of me

Crossing the threshold, her nightshirt fluttering in the breeze, Heather placed a chilly hand on my forehead. "Calm down Caleb, things will be okay" she kissed me and that broke my paralysis

"Let's go in the living room shall we?" I said, retrieving the album from the table. It seemed alive, thrumming with an unnatural energy.

We choose a black leather sofa that leaned to one side. A soft ticking of the clock could be heard as we settled in. Snuggled up next to me, Heather squeezed my hand reassuringly

I believed I would freeze, unable to recant my story to Heather. One look at her and the words flowed like a river

"When you disappeared in the hospital, I didn't know what to do" I said, the memory bringing the smothering feeling of lost "I panicked but finally decided to follow you. When I saw the Otherworld, I knew why you ended up like you did." I paused, deciding on the order of events "when I finally found you and you were unresponsive, I almost lost it. It didn't matter though Heather. I would have found a way to heal you Heather."

"What I am about to say might upset you Heather" I paused, collecting my thoughts "when I stayed behind and told you to go, I fulfilled a promise. I promised you that I would die for you, that your life was worth more than mine"

Heather didn't respond but her eyes shone wetly. Outside a gust of wind rattled the window behind us. Today's weather reflected the mood in the room, sullen, subdued and somber. When I didn't continue, Heather squeezed my hand again.

"Alright, before I found you, I discovered a room. A movie was playing, showing a family over the years. I didn't recognize them at first but then the truth hit. Somewhere in my mind, a door opened and forgotten memories surged forward." A blossom of grief started to open yet I would save the tears for later. Breathing deeply, I swallowed the bitter pill of pain.

"Let's start with you Heather" I began again, my words catching in my throat

"What about me?" Heather wore a hurt look as if the words were a slap

"It's nothing bad Heather. I'm sorry if it sounded wrong" I replied, kissing her on the forehead

Opening the album, the leather creaked softly. A perfume of mothballs, dust and age filled the air. Most of the pictures were yellowed with dog eared corners. Though faded, the colors were still distinguishable.

"Here look at this girl" I said, pointing to a young girl in a summery, yellow striped dress. Barefooted, she stood in a yard holding an orange tabby

"Caleb, she looks like me" Heather responded surprised, eyes filled with awe. "Who is she?"

"My sister, Samantha" I croaked, a pain sharp in my heart. Removing my glasses, I pinched my nose, suddenly feeling queasy.

"It's okay" Heather replied, gently hugging me.

"When I ran into you, you reminded me of somebody but I couldn't figure out whom. That's why I followed you around the mall." I sighed, touching my sisters picture "That night you told me to be with you, I felt I need to protect you, care for you. And then you've always told me why I sacrifice everything for you. And here's why" I turned towards her, taking her hands

"I watched over my sister. Walked her to and from school, helped her with homework and so much more. I made sure nothing happened to Samantha. Though I was three years older, she was my world and I made sure nothing happened to her. Just like I've done with you Heather"

"And now for the rest of my story" I said, flipping to a series of family portraits

"My mother Evelyn and my father Daniel. We lived in Silent Hill, three blocks from the school." I stopped, trying to connect the dots "I believed your story because of Douglas but I felt there was another reason. And when you talked about your time in Silent Hill, some things sounded familiar"

"Because you were born in Silent Hill" Heather answered

"Yeah, my mom worked at Alchemilla Hospital and my dad at the Lakeview Hotel. Times were great until one day. I was 9 and my sister was 6. I was watching her playing in the backyard. The phone rang and I went in to answer it. When I came back out, Samantha was gone. All I could find was her hula hoop and one shoe. When my parents found out, they blamed the Order. They knew they took children to learn their teachings and become cult members. Anyway, my dad threatened to bring the wrath of God down upon the Order. I guess they took the threat serious. Two nights later, they broke into our house and murdered my parents brutally in bed. I hid in my closet and then discovered them. Warren was one of my dad's best friends, almost like a brother. He smuggled me out of Silent Hill in case they came back. I believed all this time I was adopted" Pretty soon, the grief wouldn't be contained much longer. When it broke, it would tear through me like a hurricane

"From that night forward, I locked away all my childhood. It turned me into a distant, unfeeling, emotionless robot. I tried looking for answers when they were inside of me all along. You gave me life, Silent Hill gave me a past" finally, the dam broke tears streaming down my face. Pain and hurt, grief and sorrow even a little regret tore me apart. An invisible vise squeezed down on my heart. A burning sensation arose in my mended shoulder.

Heather held me, allowing me to cry on her shoulder. After spilling my secrets, I felt vulnerable, open to any attack. If I had let go of Heather, I was afraid of slipping away into some dark pit. Little by little, the storm passed and in the process, another weight had been removed from my shoulder. Though bleak now, my life, like Heather's, would be brighter in time

"That's the difference between you and me. Your father died yet you never forgot him. You kept him alive in your heart." I muttered, wiping my eyes "My parents were murdered and my sister disappeared and I sealed away everything. I completely forgot about them until now. I'm such a coward"

"Don't say that Caleb. You are not a coward after what all did for me in Silent Hill" Heather said, tapping me on the chest. "You have the biggest heart I've ever seen"

"Guess you are right. Wait, I just thought of something else"

"What?"

"Another reason I sacrifice everything for you is I don't want to see another loved one die and I'm helpless to save them"

Time slipped away, beams of sunlight splitting the grey clouds outside. The clock chimed the hour breaking the silence. But I and Heather remained silent, lost in each other's eyes.

"Caleb can I ask you something?" Heather asked timidly. She looked away finding the rug on the floor interesting.

"Sure"

"You will still love me right? Since this is over, you won't leave me will you?" she turned sad doe eyes on me.

"Yes, yes I still will love you. We will heal together." I grabbed her, kissing her passionately on the lips.

Three days later, we returned to Heather's apartment. As soon as we stepped in, we could sense a change. The grayness that smothered everything and cast a depressing cloud on us had dissipated. Colors were warmer and more vibrant. A positive energy flowed through the air, energizing us. Both of us breathed deeply, enjoying the transformation like kids at Christmas. With a changed place, the healing could now begin. Silent Hill no longer controlled Heather, the threat all but passed. It would be a long arduous trek but together we would conquer the impossible.

THE END


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